Title: Winter in the North
Summary: A missing informant leads Aveline de Grandpre to the North and back to the side of Ratohnhaké:ton.
Disclaimer: Assassin's Creed III/Liberation, and all things related to the franchise, is property of Ubisoft.
Author's Note: the release of Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is coinciding along with the time that I'm finally getting a proper education of the colonization of the Americas, which tickles me pink (and red with rage). I wanted to jot two more stories out before the game commenced in kind with its official release when I should be studying, so I hope you enjoy this. I feel a little more confident in writing Aveline now that I have a voice for my imagination to correlate with.
Archive: aveline_creed (livejournal)
Cold didn't begin to describe the frozen landscape expanding out and all around her. As a child, though she couldn't play out of doors, the snow had been something to look forward to. It never blanked the multifaceted landscape of her city, melting almost the moment it touched the ground. Through the eyes of a naive girl, the absolute rarity of the weather invited a new perspective for her imagination to view her once gigantic city home.
Here up North, snow was entirely different creature; a second skin of the environment, it drooped on the branches of old and new trees, drizzling down into the air in the form of icicles, crawled up the side of cliffs and hills, masking potential dangers and paths once clear to the naked eye. Snow clung to her the fur trims of her assassin's garb and boots, inviting what little that melted to trickle down the collar onto her bare skin. The child in her could undoubtedly appreciate witnessing the phenomena of snow in all its glory, but her adult side was far too busy wondering how on earth anyone survived such a cruel environment without keeling over head first into the ice.
If cold was the chill she felt in the withering days of the fall, artic was the perfect description of the air biting into her bones now.
What skin was exposed to the elements became stiff with dryness, her lips chapped and face dry, Aveline marveled at how quick the moisture was sucked from her skin; was she not allowed anything in this place? Giving her arms a shake, she marched in single file for a minute or so before continuing on through the tumultuous wilderness. The wind howled through the trees, singing the song of the forlorn wolf searching for food to feed its pack, urging her to push forward.
Her legs felt tied down with bags of salt, to pull her leg completely from the snow was to slow her pace. To lose her footing was to fall knees-first into the snow, soaking her further than desired; to turn her head to the left would welcome a flurry of snowflakes to blind her. Nothing about this journey was easy, instinctively she knew that, yet her short fuse and dwindling patience gnawed at the hardship dragging her down. She suspected the Order - or rather Agate - knew as much and while her physical and mental training prepared her for the worst of situations, her emotional control was entirely different story.
If she didn't find a Templar to take her frustrations out on, a tree would suffer the end of her blade.
It was another hour before she came across any signs of life. Whispers on the wind, the snap of tree branches and her own general uneasiness as the snow storm worsened sent her climbing up a tree. The numbness of her fingers made it difficult to maintain a steady grip on the grooves of the tree bark, she used what strength she had left in her legs to push her up to the strongest branch and perched herself against its side. Balancing on the balls of her feet, Aveline stared down into the whitewash of snow and wind, brown eyes widening accordingly.
Eagle Vision kicked in like second nature, obscuring the world as she once saw it in hues of blue and gray. A manageable distance from where she was, she spotted the five figures enshrouded red, converging on the single bright blue figure in the circle.
One ally, five enemies. Without looking away she secured a dagger from her belt and aimed for the closest target. Inhaling, she raised the weapon above her head and thrust her arm forward hard as she could. She hit her target, the man stumbled forward, clutching wildly for the place the dagger landed in his neck. A shot from a pistol went off and in the flurry of snow Aveline was barely fortunate to see the ball zip past her head as she moved. Rising from her crouched position she leapt from the tree, the world tumbling into a blur of snow, her vision distorted as Eagle Vision disengaged. Coming out of her roll, she unsheathed her hidden blade and stabbed the man in the center of his neck. Blood spurted from the wound she created and the man dropped quicker than his comrades could react.
Aveline raced forward, the man before her stumbled back in surprise, leaving himself open to attack. Another shot was fired, this time the bullet zipping past her back; the soldier who intended to stab her with his bayonet was knocked down by the impact of the bullet, his gun flying from his hand. Operating on second nature, Aveline drove her blade into the chest of her opponent several times, knocking the air from his lungs. Drawing her blade from his body, she reached for the tomahawk and knife and blocked the bayonet that intended to plow through her face.
"Duck!" The ally's voice, distorted by the strength of his shout, drew her attention away from the snarling soldier in front of her. She ducked just as a rifle went off; the soldier fell to the ground. Aveline spared not a look to the dying man; she disengaged from battle and headed for the center of the clearing as the stranger extended his hand to her. Nowhere near as naive enough to simply hand her weapon over, Aveline brushed past him and gave chase after fleeing soldier that remained.
He was a clumsy soul, tripping over masked roots and blocks of ice that walked into his path. As she reached him, he seemed to fall over dead all his own. Too late to slow her momentum, she leapt over his corpse and landed soundly on the other side. Disappointed, Aveline gave the body a once over and spotted the hilt of her machete sticking out of his back. "I didn't think you were so greedy," She could barely hear his voice over the howl of the wind, but she recognized him immediately.
"I don't surrender my weapon to just anyone, Frère," Aveline rebuked. "I did not expect to see you here, Ratohnhaké:ton." The Mohawk warrior broad shoulders and tall frame became clearer the closer he got; his garb standing out against the once-pure snow as a diminished white. "Nor I, but it would seem this is how we always meet." Aveline said nothing in return to his observation, looking down at the weapon in her hand she raised her arm and gave it a twirl. "Here, I took good care of it."
Ratohnhaké:ton stared down at his tomahawk with a small smile, remembering the day he bequeathed the weapon to her. He reached for the weapon, his fingers curling around hers as he fastened a grip on the hilt. It'd been far too long since he'd seen it, his trusty tomahawk, and while he'd been forlorn without his secondary weapon, he was glad to see it'd been put to good use in her hands.
Aveline released her grip on the weapon, as she turned away the distinct sensation of his calloused fingers against her wrist gave her pause. With a flick of her wrist, she freed herself from his grip. The instinct to unsheathe her blade kept in check, Aveline pressed a foot against the dead soldier and used her free hand to wrench her machete from his back. "Do you know somewhere we can go until the storm is over?" She inquired. Ratohnhaké:ton nodded and started out ahead of her, trusting her to follow.
Aveline was quiet for most of their journey, believing it futile and risky to shout over the howl of the wind just to be heard. Wise enough logic, there was no telling where the soldiers were hiding or stumbling about in this storm. He led them to the shelter of a cave up on the edge of a cliff-side there - once he was certain there was nothing inside to be disturbed or disturb them - he watched her relax and rest against the cool stone wall.
Ratohnhaké:ton busied himself with preparing a fire with what little dry wood he could find, Aveline rubbed her fingers and messaged her feet with strange physical exercises. "Did the Order send you here?" He asked. "Or are you here for personal reasons?"
Aveline rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck. "My skin is so dry," She murmured. "How do you live in such conditions?"
"I've lived here all my life," He answered. "Present conditions aside, it's never bothered me." As a tiny fire began to spark amongst the wood he pulled his hood from his head and fixed his gaze on her. "Did the Order send you here?"
"Oui, I'm looking slavers," She answered, biting the inside of her mouth. "They took a contact of mine and I must find her."
"Does your master know you're out here, searching for slavers?"
"Agate is one of the head of the Order, of course he does," Aveline answered, rotating her foot. "The old man would probably know where I am regardless. I wouldn't worry." Ratohnhaké:ton sniffed at her nonchalant reply, eyes wandering down to the growing fire once more. "If you're actions are not in favor of the Brotherhood, you risk the safety of the whole."
She scoffed. "You speak as though I am not aware of the Creed. How I affect the Brotherhood is none of your concern," Aveline stated, her gaze narrow and sharp.
"Your actions concern me as much as the next assassin," He rebuked.
"I have no intentions of acting brashly," Aveline said, her voice calmer than her expression. "I have been tracking these men for the last six weeks; I cannot afford to be sloppy." Ratohnhaké:ton bit the inside of his mouth at her defiant stare and looked the other way. Aveline shook her head in exasperation and focused her attention on the entrance of the cave. "How long do these storms last?" She inquired. "Well into the next day sometimes," Ratohnhaké:ton replied, mirroring the frown that played on Grandpre's lips. "When did you arrive here in the North?"
"Not long ago," Aveline replied. "Getting into the country was not an easy task given our situation amongst the colonists. There were more than a few times my father's affluent connections failed to help me, lest they be ousted for helping a "slave"." He nodded, a sour taste entering his mouth. "What is the name of your contact?"
"Marie Dupont," She said.
He'd never seen her fight. Every encounter they've had she was playing the role of another person or being purposely aloof about her actions. As an assassin, silence and cover are your strongest allies; the less attention you drew, the fewer bodies you left behind, the easier the task was to achieve.
There was nothing aloof or minimal about the way she fought; the moment they were exposed, Aveline lashed out with her bullwhip and dragged the soldier into the bushes, slitting his throat. She moved as well as any man, mayhap even better. Aveline's size hardly impacted the strength behind her attacks, they couldn't touch her, and the ones that tried were often opponents for his own sport.
The encampment was a set aflame the further inside they ventured, the smell gunpowder, blood filled the air, a haunting mix to the screams that were inclined to follow them. "Where is she?" Connor shouted over the chaos. Aveline captured another soldier with her whip and yanked him down at the same time she pulled her pistol and fired on a nearby enemy. "Inside!" Ratohnhaké:ton shoved his opponent out of the way into a group of soldiers that intended to surround him. Bolting, he climbed the slanted pathway towards the fort and dove through doorway of the structure that surrounded the encampment.
He found what he was looking for at the very end of the fort, tucked away in a room stuffed with contraband; the young woman lie on the ground, a bloody mess of tattered clothing and split skin. Kneeling, Connor scooped her up from the ground; the girl raised a single arm against him and hit him on the shoulder with the flat of her palm. The thunder of footsteps approaching caught him off guard. Turning, he released one arm from around the girl and drew his blade.
His enemy came at him with a bayonet poised to run him through, eyes wild with bloodlust Ratohnhaké:ton cursed his lack mobility and prepared to turn the girl away from the brunt of the attack when flash from behind caught his eye. He turned on his heel, the dead weight of the girl threw him off balance, tipping him over. The crazed man's body crumpled just mere inches away from them, his bayonet fell from his hand. Connor hit the ground as Aveline came into view, her second pistol smoking.
The hounds were still barking when the night fell, Connor peered up at the moonless sky and frowned. They'd done their best to throw the party off their tracks, but there was only so much one could do without exposing yourself to further harm as a result of the elements. Deep inside the cave he could hear Aveline whispering to the young girl - "Marie" he recalled his comrade calling her - tending to the harm done to her body.
Conscious and aware of her surroundings, the girl came to the conclusion that there was no one she could trust beyond Aveline. Despite her injury, the girl flailed in his arms until Aveline fell back from the lead and took her from his care. Marie remained silent the entirety of their journey back to the cave, her eyes downcast with shame. "Why was she here?" He asked.
"As I said, Marie is an informant," Aveline barely spoke above a whisper. "She was tracking a Templar named Humphreys-"
"Humphreys?" Connor injected, eyebrows rising. At his reaction Aveline cast him a sideways look, suspicious. "Oui, I did not stutter," She remarked. "She was tracking the Templar through the Gulf of Mexico when the Order received word that she was captured by slavers."
"And the Order sent you to retrieve her?"
"A week before she was captured she delivered a message to Agate about "Lost Eden". Naturally, they assumed she was speaking of the pieces of Eden, she was too valuable to lose to the Templars if her information proved concrete," Aveline explained. "They sent me as soon as they located her position."
"Has she said anything of importance yet?"
"Do you expect her to?" Aveline snapped. "She is hurt and she will not speak of what they did to her, let alone what she discovered. Not now." Connor raised his hands in surrender at the heat in her tone. "I didn't mean to-"
Aveline gave a dismissive wave of her hand and stood from her crouched position. "Intent doesn't matter, mind how you speak, Frère," She told him, brushing past him. "She'll be ready to move at first light, but she needs to rest now."
Ratohnhaké:ton scratched the back of his head in frustration; Aveline was justifiably rattled by the condition of her friend. Marie appeared to be on her last leg despite Aveline's efforts to nurse her wounds. The girl clung to Aveline as a child would her mother, revealing there was more to their relationship beyond a simple passage of information.
"They may find us before then," He said. Aveline barely acknowledged the truth of his words with a turn the head. Rubbing her fingers together she pulled her knife from her belt and stared into its reflective surface. "Should that happen, we'll fight," She told him. "They are not so many in numbers that we can't dispatch them."
"Perhaps not, but the wisest course of action would be to avoid confrontation," Ratohnhaké:ton stated, turning his gaze toward the girl. "We can't afford to lose her in a scuffle." Aveline knocked the heel of her boot against the wall in frustration, the "what if" scenarios of their discovery running through her mind like paranoid mice. "I'll be back."
Connor's eyebrows rose in surprise, he started toward Aveline as she approached the mouth the cave. "Where are you going?"
"To play tag with the moon, what else?" Aveline remarked, one hand on her hip. "Look after her while I'm gone. I shouldn't be long."
The wait for Aveline felt longer than the promise of her words; Connor paced the narrow space between the walls, weapons at the ready. The distant barks of the voices perusing them felt no closer or further than he last remembered, leaving him on edge at the possibility his attentiveness was slacking. Marie remained quiet for a time; she only made noise when she tried to adjust her position on the hard ground, tiny whimpers of pain and sniffles that told him she was crying. He attempted once to comfort her, offering the jacket from his shoulders to offer her warmth.
Marie curled in on herself, and bared her fingers like eagle's claws, her intention was to scratch him should he get any closer. Discouraged by her fear, Ratohnhaké:ton left the jacket on the ground close enough for her to grab.
When he came to from an unexpected nap, the sun was rising from behind the clouds and Marie was sitting upright, wrapped in his jacket like a cat seeking shelter from the cold. "Good morning," He greeted.
"Bonjour," Marie replied quietly.
His back aching and spine cold from proximity to the wall, he struggled to rise to his feet as the silhouette of Aveline stretched across the ground toward him. "Where have you been? I was beginning to think you were lost to us," He told her. Aveline wiped a smudge of blood from her cheek and yawned. "Out hunting," She raised her right arm to reveal a pair of rabbits. "Breakfast."
"And the soldiers?"
"Swimming somewhere downriver, I suppose," Aveline answered with a grin, eyes wandering to the end of the cave. "How are you, Marie?"
"Fine, Madame Grandpre," Marie answered. When Aveline looked to him for confirmation, Ratohnhaké:ton shrugged his shoulders. "She was quiet, sleeping mostly. Wouldn't let me get near her, though I meant her no harm," He explained. "Smart girl," Aveline dropped the rabbits next to the firewood; pressing her hands against her vest she approached the girl. "How do you feel?"
"Strong enough to carry myself, I promise, Madame," Marie assured the assassin. Aveline pressed the matter no further, Pressing a kiss atop the girl's head she retreated from her space and back to the firewood. "There will be time to press on soon. For now, we need to eat and it would be a shame to let these rabbits go to waste."
(FIN)