I sat in my room frozen, my mother was now dead, I wasn't shocked, she had been unconscious for a week and sick for the past month, it was amazing that my younger sister survived. Silence fell around the assassins den as my mother went to rest, no cries came from her and my fathers room except from my new sibling.
I sat outside the door to my parents room. It was silent save the priest giving my mother last rites. I thumbed the hidden blade my father and mother had designed for me, my initials were engraved into the base of the blade, along with an ornate ليس هناك ما هو صحيح، فكل شيء مباح [nothing is true, everything is permitted] carved into the top of the blade. My father and mother didn't want me to become an assassin driven by hate and revenge but one driven by knowledge and power. I was 13 now and at a mercenary rank.
And hour passed I couldn't take the silence anymore, I pulled on my cloak and ran out or the building towards the stables, grabbed my horse and rode out to the city of Roma, my blade on my arm, and my small knife on my back, I rode into the deep red sunset.
No matter how hard I tried tears wouldn't fall from my eyes, I couldn't believe that my mother was gone from my life. I dismounted from my horse when I found myself in front of the familiar Rosa in Fiore. I was lucky I was tall for my age, no thanks to my father, so no one questioned my walking into the brothel. I quickly found Claudia, my aunt and told her of my mothers death.
"Claudia." I spoke solemnly
"Gavino, whats wrong?" She grasped my arms firmly and stared into my icy blue eyes, "What is it?" she asked more firmly.
"It's, my mother." I hesitantly spoke, words failing me. "She's dead."
Claudia's eyes widened in shock, she called for my grandmother Maria to comfort me, "I have a baby sister now. Arnuade, she looks just like Ezio according to Machiavelli." I didn't feel like I was in my own body, I was watching some other tall, young, muscular, and handsome boy talking and not myself.
I spent the night at the Rosa in Fiore, I woke to the strong smell of perfume and sweat, a nauseating scent. I rubbed all trace of sleepiness from my eyes and stood up pulling on my basic leather spaulders, hand-me-downs from my father, and I ventured into the streets of Roma. I was of French and Italian descent, I longed to see my other country of origin, one day I just might. I was tan like an italian and I had my fathers sharp bone structure, dark hair, and intense facial features, but my mothers ice blue eyes. I leaned against a bare stone wall and watched the vitality of the city pulsate before me. I knew that thanks to my father and the brotherhood Rome was becoming beautiful again.
Hours passed and I hadn't left my bench, in fact I hadn't even moved until I saw a red and black hooded silhouette run frantically in the direction of the Rosa in Fiore. I stood up and stalked the moving figure, he moved fast through the crowds shoving people over and running to and fro. I sprinted quickly after him, he ran in a blind fury, he reached the Rosa in Fiore within a few short minutes and frantically knocked on the door. Seconds later Claudia opened the door, I realised the figure was my father, as he walked into the building I heard him yelling frantically, "Where's Gavino? Have you seen him?"
I stalked closer to the building, snatching up an apple at the nearby stand, I planned on walking in but something made me stop.
"He stayed the night I thought he returned to you, this morning." Claudia replied calmly
"Cazzo! First his mother now him, I can't afford to lose him right now."
I hesitantly knocked on the door, and opened it, sheepishly I apologised, "Mi dispiace father, I was getting something to eat and I got distracted."
"Gavino." He hugged me tightly. "Don't ever disappear like that again." he spoke sternly now.
I bowed my head low, and nodded slowly.
"Come you have training to do." My father pulled me up by my shoulders and gently pushed me out the door.
"Si." I spoke quietly.
"Go to Leonardo's workshop, take these papers to him, try to free run as much as you can capito?"
"Si." I stared at the ground dejected, I'd much rather spend the day with my father, especially what happened in the past 24 hours. A small tear began to roll down my cheek, my father gently grabbed my chin he raised my head and smiled at me. "Son, it's alright." he swept his thumb across my cheek wiping away the tears, "I'm still here, be strong alright? It will be alright." he smiled softly, his eyes were kind, I nodded, sniffled, and smiled back. "Bene, now on your way." he laughed and turned away.
I turned the opposite direction and ran towards a pile of crates, I mustered all my strength and sprinted towards the wooden beam just a few feet away, I landed on it shakily, but I quickly steadied myself and lept towards the next beam. I turned towards the the building and ran up the wall and grasped the ledge. Before I Crawled up onto the ledge I scanned the skyline for nearby archers.
I reached the building adjacent to Leonardo's workshop, I ran to the ledge and lept into the cart nearby. I jumped out of the cart and walked up to the workshop door, knocked, and walked into the workshop. Salai was waiting for me, I rolled my eyes, he irritated me so. "Bongiorno Salai, is Leonardo here?" I spoke.
"Si, he's out back." he replied not looking up from his cleaning.
"Bene, Grazie." I sauntered off into the back of the building, "Leonardo, I have some documents from Ezio Auditore da Firenze for you." I kept my head down, I hadn't met the great inventor yet, I wouldn't know what to say when he saw my father's face copied perfectly into mine.
"Thank you boy." he spoke cheerfully, "No need to bow your head, I am no more than a humble painter." I saw him smile as I looked up into his eyes, his face froze seeing mine. "Mio Dio!" he exclaimed, "You look just like Ezio Auditore when I first met him."
"Si, that is what he tells me." I spoke with humble respect.
"But your eyes, they do not belong to any of the Auditore, they have deep brown and gold eyes that shine as bright as the sun in Italia, yours are much like the cold and icy snows of the high mountains."
"Grazie." I bowed low and turned to leave.
"Are you an Auditore?" He asked innocently.
"Si. I am Gavino Auditore da Roma" I said atop his garden wall and hastily vanished.