"...He walked into the small long chamber. It was a really bright place, the light entered through the upper part of the roof and the upper part of the walls. The walls were covered with red tapestry and on the wall in his front there was a small table covered by the same fabrics of the walls and with a lit candle at it's center. It was the room were the assassins paid respects, prayed and did whatever more spiritual things they'd want to do, every Assassin Bureau had one. He had never entered this room, nor had she, he suspected, but he had heard some rumors that explained it well.
The woman was facing the candle, still as a statue, he could only see her back. She didn't have her white clothes on, neither did she had her hood covering her face, she was wearing, in fact, rather common clothes that she wore under her assassin's clothes. Her hair was long, of a dark brownish tone.
- What is it that you want, Altaïr? – She didn't move a muscle as she talked with the man. Her voice was firm, calm, controlled.
- I've heard your mother was killed. I am sorry for your loss.
- That's not why you're here.
-No, it isn't. But I'm still sorry.
He put his hand on her shoulder and she turned to face him, her yellowish eyes pierced him. He gave her the white feather for her next target.
- Sayid ibn Sa'ad.
She took the feather and looked at her for an instant, and it was when he realized. He held her hand and examined it.
- How… The initiation…- A look of suspicion rose in his face.
- Altaïr. – Her voice seemed as calm and collected as always, but also had a prickle of impatience. He let go of her and looked in her eyes, puzzled. She put the feather away.
- My initiation wasn't like the others, Altaïr…
She sighted and turned back to the candle, posing a flower on the table. She began to walk on the direction of the exit. He followed her. She took her white clothes from the table on the out part of the room, just next to the exit. And began to put them on as she walked.
- When I was a little girl… My father, Ali, would always say that I'd be a great assassin, just like him, someday. The creed was his life and he believed that to be an assassin was the biggest honor one could have. So he put me on the care of Al Mualim. My mother at the time lived far away. She didn't like Ali and didn't like the assassins, and so he let her live by herself, under surveillance.
They arrived at the entering hall of the Assassin Bureau, and she sat on the floor, near the cushions. She was in her assassin's clothes, but her hood was still down.
- As an apprentice, I was… Well, weak. In skill, I was at the same level, or higher, than everyone else, but when it came to killing, I refused. Ali, of course was enraged when he knew, and so he asked Al-Mualim to keep pressing me to my limits, putting my life in danger so I would be forced to kill. But I couldn't do it.
She stopped for a moment. Looking gloomily at the floor. She started putting her hair back to make a bun.
- Al Mualim naturally assumed I couldn't be an assassin if I wasn't able to kill, and so he told it to Ali. My father begged of him to give me one last chance, one last trial.
She put her hood up.
-On the day of the day of the initiation… The sages and assassins were gathered around my father and Al Mualim. And I was being watched by all of them…
The sun was up on the sky. All the student's were on the cave were they'd pass trough their initiation, but one. One girl who was facing the solemn faces of her father and her master, scared and nervous.
-Adara, my child. –said the Al Mualim – You have shown us that you have the potential to be a great assassin…
She looked at her father's face, hoping she'd see a glitter of pride, but he showed nothing… Something was wrong there. Why had she been isolated from the other students…? No, why was she going to get initiated as an assassin if she refused to kill?
-You have proven yourself worthy of living among us, as one of us, as a sister. But… You still haven't proven yourself able of being a true assassin. And that is why were gathered here today. –he continued – Step forward, child.
She got closer to Al Mualim, who stood up in front of her father, and he handed her a small dagger. She had to do it. She had to kill someone.
-Wh…Who's…. Master, who am I to kill…?- Her words were tremulous, uneasy.
The old man took a step to the left, making the girl face her target. In a moment she realized what she was supposed to do, and let the dagger fall on the floor.
-I… I can't—
-DON'T YOU DARE dishonor me now, Adara. I'm ashamed of a daughter who can't follow the steps of her father.
- But! – tears rolled down her face.
- Do it.
The place was in absolute silence as the girl took the dagger from the floor and got closer to her target.
-DO IT.
The woman stood up, looking at her brother's face, emotionlessly.
-And so I did. I killed Ali. And looking back now… I don't regret it. At all. – she took the feather and looked at it fondly, smiling- Sayid ibn Sa'ad, is it…? – She turned to Altaïr- Safety and peace, brother.
And with this, she climbed her way off the bureau, into the city of Damascus."