AN: I don't own Assassin's Creed. It belongs to Ubisoft.

I hope you'll enjoy reading and please leave a comment! ^^

And the eagle will fly again

"I've completed my mission."

"What a surprise!", I said bitterly without looking up from my work.

A bloody feather was laid down next to the map I was drawing. The person who had placed it there was turning away. I had expected a sharp reply from the man who had destroyed my life. He silently walked away instead.

I finally looked up and saw the slumped and limping form of Altair. He eventually stopped at the door to the restroom and exit and he slightly turned around. I couldn't see his face, but his voice sounded strained and almost hurt when he said: "Safety and peace Malik!"

"Your presence deprives me of both!"

He visible flinched and I immediately felt guilty. Altair had changed since the incident in Solomon's temple a few months prior, but I still did not found it in my heart to forgive him. He turned away again and moved towards the open lattice that led outside. I wondered about that, because the sun was already setting and the people would surely be in their homes now. What could he possible want to do?

I sighed and shook my head, focusing on my task again.

Only when it had gotten completely dark outside and when it had started to rain I slightly started to worry. I couldn't explain it myself, it was not as if I cared what happened to the damn novice, yet I felt uneasy as if something terrible was about to happen.

I had already put away everything and was about to shut the lattice, but something stopped me from doing so, even though it had started to rain and the carpet would clearly be ruined the following morning. I then went to bed, still with an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

When I jolted awake I was disoriented at first. I had dreamt of my childhood. Back then, when Altair Kadar and I were still in training and almost inseparable. It was only when Altair had been promoted to a high ranked assassin faster than anyone ever before, that he had started to become an arrogant bastard who only cared about himself. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and tried to find out what had woken me up. I heard a loud thump somewhere in the bureau and I immediately got out of bed, wide awake now.

I scrambled out of my room, sword in my hand and looked around. Inwardly I cursed Altair, because if the damn novice where here now, I wouldn't have to worry about any intruder.

When I entered the main room of the bureau, the first thing I noticed was the sound of something dripping on the floor. I carefully took another step into the room when a voice sounded:

"Ma... Malik…", croaked a familiar voice which I immediately identified as Altair's.

"Novice, what the hell are you doing?", I started to scold him.

"I am sorry for waking you… and for ruining your carpet.", he whispered.

"What are you talking about and why aren't you closing the lattice and come in?", I asked while lightening a few candles.

"I can't!", his voice sounded strange.

"You are not making any sense, novice!"

I decided that I had enough and went to beat some sense into him. When I stepped through the door, my eyes immediately landed on a person that was kneeling on the floor, holding his middle and head deeply bowed, seemingly in a lot of pain. I forget my actual intention and swiftly crouched down next to Altair.

I carefully laid my hand onto his shoulder in order to calm him, for he was shaking violently. If it was from the cold and his wet clothes or from pain I couldn't tell.

"Altair what happened?", I inquired.

He took a deep and shuddering breath before answering: "I saw guards molesting a few beggar women and they were beating the children of these women. I couldn't just stand by and watch. One of the guards got a lucky hit."

His statement surprised me. I had never had thought that Altair was the caring type.

"Alright Altair, come on. We have to get you inside so that I can take a look at your wounds. Can you stand?"

He shook his head and I cursed inwardly. I pulled his arms from his chest and put on of them over my shoulder, while putting my arm around his waist. He groaned in pain from the movement and when I pulled him up he panted heavily and almost fell back on the floor.

"Pull yourself together, will you?", I snapped, but Altair remained silent.

I dragged him inside and carefully laid him down on the pillows I had carried in here because of the rain. Only then did I realise how bad Altair was wounded. His white robe was tinted red by his blood. I helped him get rid of the robe and went to pick up some medical supplies.

Altair had his eyes closed when I returned. He didn't react when I called his name, so I slapped him hard across his cheek. Altair blinked confused before he glared at me.

"Don't close your eyes and I won't hit you!", I warned.

I started with stopping the bleeding, cleaning Altair's wound and skin and then I started stitching it up. When I finally had finished my task I looked up to see him observing my every move with tired eyes. He looked pale and totally exhausted and I suddenly realised that I was feeling tired as well.

I quickly grabbed Altair's clothes and laid them out to dry before grabbing a blanket and covering the man with it.

"Thank you, brother."

I looked up when I heard his whisper and was greeted by an unreadable expression.

"Sleep and rest, Altair.", I said in a soft voice and he immediately complied.

I sighed when I stood up. I looked out of the window, it was already getting brighter. Tiredly I went to bed in hope of getting at least a few more minutes of much needed sleep.

A few hours after, I even felt more drained than before, but I had to get up. Altair was still very much asleep when I entered the main room. A look at the restroom was enough for me to dim my mood. The floor was not only ruined, it was completely destroyed. The rain, that had luckily stopped now, had taken its toll on the carpet and a few spots were red with Altair's blood. I grumbled to myself and headed back in. Altair would surely wake up soon and be hungry. I quickly fetched something to eat and placed it next to the sleeping man, I wasn't hungry. Then I took my usual place at the desk and continued my work from yesterday. I don't know how much time had passed when Altair groaned. He clutched his chest and slowly rose up to a sitting position.

After he ate and dressed with the fresh clothes I had provided for him, Altair approached me: "I can't thank you enough… if there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."

"Shut up and rest then."

"What?"

"If you go running around you'll only reopen the wound I troublesomely have stitched up.", I answered while looking him in the eyes.

Altair nodded, put his hood down from his head and laid back down without any complaints. I decided to let him stay here for now, because the actual resting place was ruined and I kind of liked the company, even if it was only him.

Altair let me work in silence, yet I could feel his eyes on me. But every time I looked at him, he swiftly turned his head so I couldn't see his face.

"I assume that I can let you alone for a moment novice, I have to look something up."

Altair nodded and I left the room to search for some old documents in the library.

I had already pulled a few documents from the dusty shelves, still without finding the one I needed, when I heard a loud knocking sound. For a moment I thought it had been Altair, but the man was intelligent enough not to do anything to annoy me. I chose to ignore the knocking, which I figured came from the back door. Surely it were just some beggars and homeless looking for a place to stay and I already had enough with Altair here.

The knocking didn't stop however; in fact, it only got louder and more violent. I also heard voices shouting outside now.

"Malik?", sounded a voice from behind me.

"Ignore it novice."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

I stopped dead in my tracks. I may not liked Altair, but his instincts were always right. I looked at him, his face was serious and he was looking in the direction of the knocks.

"Come on, move it!"

He moved aside to let me pass and obediently followed me. Moments later we heard the wooden door splinter and the shouts of angry men.

"Stop hiding assassins! You are trapped!", a voice bellowed through the bureau.

Altair cursed and I shoved him to the main room, where I grabbed my sword.

"Get out Altair!", I shouted when I saw Altair activating his hidden blade and grabbing his sword.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me novice! Get out, you are in no condition to fight, you only get yourself killed."

"What about you?"

I hesitated at his angry voice. "There's no way for me to get out and as a Dai it is my duty to protect my fellow assassins. Now go and save yourself!"

"I don't care about my life!"

"Altair.", I growled but was swiftly interrupted by the other: "Your life is more important for me."

Before I could say anything else, Altair had dashed forward and the sound of clashing metal and screams could be heard.

I hesitated for only a moment before I cursed Altair for his stupidity and followed him. The fight was hard and brutal. The templar were quite large in number. And Altair was in the centre of it all, surrounded by templars and covered in blood, but from this distance, I couldn't make out if it was his or that of the templars. Probably both I thought grimly. Yet I couldn't help myself but look at him with awe. He was fighting like a tiger; fierce, wild and graceful. At this moment I realised that Altair wasn't that arrogant bastard anymore, but my old friend.

After what felt like hours, but was no more than a few minutes, the fight was finally over. I had gained a few bruises and cuts, but nothing life threatening. Altair on the other hand, had his sword still embedded in one of the templars' chest and was leaning heavily on it. His left hand covered his middle and his legs were shaking.

"Are you alright?", I carefully asked.

"No.", he answered honestly.

I approached him and laid my hand on his so I could pry of his fingers from the sword handle. Then I more or less carried him back inside, ignoring the dead bodies around us. I laid him down on the pillows and once more got medical supplies.

He looked up at me with tired and sorrow filled eyes.

"Malik," his hands stopped me from opening his robes, "don't, it would be in vain."

"Shut it, Altair!"

I knew that he was right. Of course I knew. Altair was way too pale and too much blood was flowing from his wounds. But I couldn't just sit by and watch him die, not like this. He seemed to understand me without any words, for he didn't object a second time and when I was finished with my task, he smiled sadly at me.

"I know this question is not fair, coming from a dying man, but can you find it in yourself to forgive me? Even for only a little bit?", Altair whispered hopefully.

I lowered my gaze before answering: "I cannot."

"I understand!"

"No, you don't! I cannot forgive you, because you are not the same person you were in the temple. You are my friend, comrade and brother."

"Does this mean I am not a novice anymore?"

"You'll always be a novice for me!"

He chuckled at that, but was quickly interrupted by a fit of coughing. My stomach clenched when I saw the blood flowing from his mouth and I quickly wiped it away with the sleeve of my robe.

"You shouldn't have to die like this…", I trailed off.

"It could have been worse, if I had to die alone for example."

"I am here.", I reassured him, while taking his rather cold hand in mine.

We sat there for a moment, not speaking a word. The only sound was Altair's pained breathing and him coughing up blood. He looked bad; pale, tired and more dead than alive, yet his eyes shined bright like the first day we met.

"I regret that you lost your arm and your brother because of my stupidity and arrogance. But what I regret the most is that I broke our friendship and your trust. I just wish…", he was interrupted by yet another coughing fit and more blood dripping out of his mouth.

"It's alright, Altair. Everything if forgiven and forgotten.", I calmed him.

I took my hand out of his and ran with my fingers through his hair. He immediately leaned into the comforting touch and closed his eyes for a second or two.

"I feel cold.", he stated.

"I know…"

I sighed and moved behind them and maneuvered him so that his back rested against my chest. He laid his head onto my right shoulder and hid his face in my neck. My hand rested once more in his hair. His breath had become shaky and irregular and I could feel tears falling from my eyes.

"I guess the eagle will fly no more…", he said almost inaudible.

"I think the eagle will fly again. He will be free soon, free to fly wherever he wants and free to do what pleases him."

"He won't fly off. He will stay with his family, protecting and watching over them."

I couldn't help but smile.

"Even in death you have to have the last word!"

"Always!", he agreed and buried deeper into my neck. "Don't forget me…", he asked hesitantly.

"Never!"

"That's a relief."

I tightened my embrace around him and he looked at me with those unreadable golden eyes of his. A small smile was gracing his lips and even though the friendly picture was ruined by the blood and paleness, I had to smile back.

"Hey, save me a place wherever you go!" Altair chuckled and leaned back into me.

We just sat there in silence then, only focusing on each other. Altair's body became heavier with every passing second and I knew that it wouldn't be long now.

"Don't cry!", he whispered., but I couldn't hold it back any longer.

My whole body was shaking and Altair's breathing became slow. I also felt his pulse getting slower, his heart finally given up the unwinnable fight. Eventually his heart had completely stopped beating, he didn't breathe anymore, his hands lost their grip on my robes and his body went limb in my arms.

I cried shamelessly then, yet no sound escaped my throat. I cursed Allah, the universe and whoever else was responsible. I cursed Allah for taking away my arm, my brother and my closest friend since childhood. I cursed fate for destroying my life and I cursed the universe for being so unfair.

I cried until I had no more tears to shed, yet I didn't move an inch from Altair's side. Only when the next morning arrived and when I heard the cry of an eagle outside the bureau, I figured it was time for me to move and leave.

I had buried the body of my friend in the small backyard and I had prayed for his soul, but now I was moving through the streets of Jerusalem, searching for a new place for a bureau, since the location of the other one was now known by the templars.

I only stopped when I once more heard an eagle cry. When I looked up, I could see one circling above my head. I don't know if it had been the light of the sun or just my imagination, but for one second I thought the eagle had such golden and unreadable eyes like Altair had.

I was reminded of Altair's last words and I immediately felt new tears stinging in my eyes, but at the same time, a small smile graced my lips.

"May you are happy and well, wherever you are now, my old friend."