"Connor, you never told me... why- and how- did you get here?"

Ezio sat cross-legged around the small camp fire, opposite of where Connor laid on his back, his arms beneath his head, acting as a support. He was stairing at the stars that glinted like specks of golden dust, varying in different shades of blue, yellow, and white- hot. They had been talking and inquiring about each other for hours, since the afternoon, in fact, to pass the time for Altair's recovery and awakening, and the day had slowly but surely passed into dusk. The dusk handed its clutch on the sun over to night and allowed the moon to rise high in the sky. A full round disk shone brightly, dissolving any clouds and casting an eerie glow on Ezio's surroundings.

He usually didn't find the darkness disquieting, but tonight was different. The past day and a half had put him on edge. This was only proved when Connor sat up with a rustle. Ezio had been so lost in thinking of what creatures could possibly be hiding, he habitually grabbed the pommel of his sword and drew the blade four or five inches out of its sheath. Connor raised his hands up in mock peace, leaning backwards to get farther away from the cold steel.

"Whoa there, Ezzi! No harm intended!"

Ezio huffed.

"Sorry, Connor. I've been..."

"...Paranoid lately? Yeah. I noticed." He sat back up and regained his posture.

"Mmm," Ezio grunted in affirmation, "It's just... I'm not even a real Assassin yet, and I feel like... like..."

"Like you could kill them all?"

"...Sure?"

Connor chuckled. "Yeah, I used know that feeling. Now I don't have feelings anymore. I'm like a tree. Or a rock. I'm just kinda... there."

Ezio's mouth frowned, but his eyes gleamed with humor. "I'm pretty sure you're not a rock or tree, eh?" He gave him a good-natured punch on the shoulder. "Geez, we could be friends, you know. Us three. We could be... like a team."

Connor thought for a moment before he gave his answer, obviously displeased about it.

"Ezio, we live by the creed. We can't be a team; it would break the rules."

Ezio's face became pouty. "I'm not a real Assassin yet, though! And neither are you!"

Connor put a hand on his chest, fingering the edge of his tunic. "You know?" he whispered.

"Man, I just kinda guessed. You ido/i live all alone. Here. In the woods... No one to train you. So you're not official. ...right? ...Connor?"

He seemed to snap out of a day dream, staring off into the dark void of the forest. He almost looked like he was longing for the comfort of the trees... or something that they hid.

"I'm not- I'm not a real one yet, yeah..." he seemed to catch himself, but finished the sentance so quickly that Ezio almost missed it.

"Connor... you don't live alone, do you? You're hiding something... I can tell."

Connor looked frightened for the first time since they had met.

"No I'm not!"

It was Ezio's turn to chuckle. "I can tell. It's obvious. You're probably doing that thing with the hem of your tunic because you're nervous. Habit?"

"...yes..." He seemed even farther away, retreating into the confines of his own self.

"Connor!" Ezio repeatedly snapped his fingers in front of his friend's face. "Connor... sognatore, hey!"

Connor snapped back into reality. "What did you just say?"

"I called you 'daydreamer'... In Italian."

"Don't go all weird on me now..."

"I'm not weird! You're the one who's being weird! You're just sitting here being all stand-offish and-"

"My village and I live here, in the forest. But in the future!" Connor looked mortified and slapped a hand over his mouth, as if he couldn't believe he had just blurted out his secret to a complete almost- stranger.

"What?" Ezio stared at him in disbelief. "From the future? That's not-"

Ezio stopped in mid-sentance and looked back to where Altair was resting. He understood now.

"It is...isn't it?"

Connor slowly nodded, as if he was giving Ezio the confirmation to his death sentance. This set Ezio off into a flurry of fear, exitement, and other feelings that were unknown to him. He just stared at Connor, who did not hold eye contact, instead he looked at a misshapen rock.

"Connor, what's happening? I'm kind of freaking out here... merda, cosa posso fare? Cosa posso fare?"

"Ezio, lower your voice and speak in english! Please!"

Connor had finally stood up.

"I- sorry, I do that when I get upset."

"What, shout? Or speak in Italian?"

"Both."

"Well... don't get upset."

"Wh- how can't I? I mean, fanculo, this is just a big mess!"

"What was that you just-"

"I said FUCK. FUCK. F-U-C-K! I'm parlando en Inglese! Can't you capire me? ...Connor, mi capisci? Sai di cosa sto dicendo?"

"I...Ezio, stop talking in Italian! I don't understand what you're- oh no... you can't understand me, can you?"

Ezio was looking concerned and confused, his face rippling with frown lines.

"Che cosa sta succedendo?"

Connor was beginning to panic; the Animus must be...

"No... no! No, no no! Shit, the automatic translator must be broken!"

"Connor... Connor!" That was the only thing Ezio knew Connor could understand. He only could think in Italian, so therefore he could only speak it. He didn't understand what was going on, or what Connor was yelling his head off about, but he knew that Connor could fix it... maybe. So he called to him.

"Connor... CONN-OR!"

"Ezio, shut up! You're overusing my name! Don't you know that's bad luck!"

Ezio only looked more confused. "...Connor?"

"Argh!" Connor pulled at his hair. "What's going on? Why isn't-"

"CONNOR." Ezio said plainly but deliberately.

"WHAT." He answerd back in the same tone, if more forcefully.

"Connor, Guarda! Ecco!" He pointed to his eyes and then the tent where Altair was supposed to be sleeping.

Connor walked over to where he was pointing and lifted the flap of the tent. He peered inside, and staring right back at him were two blue eyes, ready to kill.