Toda raba – thank you very much

Slikha – Sorry

Tiron – Novice

Lo – No

Zeh lo Ya'azor li - that doesn't help

Maspik – Shut up

Toda – Thank you

Mashu sheh-ani yakhol laasot? - is there anything i can do? (male)

Al tidahg! - Don't worry! (Female)

000

Altaïr couldn't suppress the smirk on his face, he was not sure if it was seeing the girl again, Malik's face or the impending doom that loomed over him that made the Assassin smirk. "Altaïr, which part of, 'The Bureau is a secret location,' are you taking issue with?" came Malik's voice – laced, oh so beautifully, with a hint of barely suppressed murder. It was early morning and the Dai had an intruder in his Bureau, a young lady to be precise. "Explain." He ordered as he gestured to her.

"Take your knife from her throat and I will." Watching as Malik stepped away but did not relax Altaïr sighed, "Malik, this is Shalini. Shalini, this is Malik Al Sayf." She gave the Dai a wave and a small smile before darting behind Altaïr – out of the way of Malik's blade range. "I met Shalini whilst in the east, Maria was very ill and I did not know where to go for a healer. Fortunately, I ran into her and she helped save Maria's life…She is from the Eastern Brotherhood which is apparently a very old ally of ours"

"So there is a foreign Assassin in my Bureau because…" he let the word drag on for a moment, his hand making motions for the younger Assassin to continue as he still did not know why this person was here!

Altaïr pulled her around so she was in front of him, he rested his chin on the top of her head, her height being perfect for him to do so, "Will you really turn such a pretty girl away? …Yes, you would…forget that question. Malik, she needs a place to stay and I told her that if she were ever in Jerusalem to look for this place."

Now that she was no longer hidden from view Malik took the moment to look her over. She had short, sandy brown hair that reached just below her chin in messy waves, she peeked at him with large, almond shaped eyes, the colour of them reminded him of Turkish coffee and he couldn't help but notice the scar that curved under the right side of her face, just under her eye but above her cheek. "Do not think I will be easy on you because you vanished for two years, Altaïr – I am still mad at you." She giggled quietly into her hand when the figure behind gave a groan. "I am not having a girl in my Bureau! Especially one who knows at least twenty three ways to murder someone…are you completely stupid? Should you not be wandering the streets with the other insane people and shoving people around?" he looked at the female again and paused in what was going to be the longest damn lecture he was ever going to give Altaïr – she was looking at him. She was looking at him with the biggest, saddest look in her eyes, her mouth was in the most ridiculous pout and he swore that if he said 'no' he would be swallowed up by the ground and sent to a combination of every kind of hell. "Stop that."

"Stop what?" she asked innocently as she tried desperately to smother the oncoming smirk but the light in her eyes was giving her away.

"The kicked kitten face, stop it." He looked back at the man whose fault it was, "I am not, under any circumstances, not a chance in any life time, taking in strange women to appease you! I have work to do, maps to finish, reports to fill, Bureau chores, I have to get this weeks rations and I can not do this and watch her at the same time. Forget it right now because I will not be moved on this decision!" a long pause stretched out before Malik ground out at the girl, "Stop that right now!"

00

Shalini set down the hot drink on the counter beside Malik carefully, "Toda raba for letting me stay. As soon as the others arrive in the city I will be out of your way. Not that I expect to stay here and be pampered – I can do or help with the chores and I am a decent enough cook…as long as you like eating the same thing everyday." Malik stared at her for a long moment and she took the hint; she was talking too much. "Slikha…I talk too much, I know." She felt awkward, when Altaïr had been beside her it was like nothing could hurt her and now it was just forced and a little too quiet for her.

"Not too much…you just prattle." Her face fell a little at the brutal honesty, "Enough with that face…" Malik half pleaded. He wasn't some gormless boy who would feel bad just because she was looking sad, "How old are you anyway." He muttered to himself.

Shalini perked up a little, "Seventeen."

"…I was not actually asking." Once again she looked put out, even though she had brightened when she thought he had asked her a question, he sighed and decided to humour her for just a little while, "I thought you were older…so how did you trick Altaïr into agreeing to give you shelter? Or is our great leader planning an integration of our two clans?" Though, he thought, that wasn't a terrible idea… he should mention that to the man on his return.

Shalini smiled, she liked appearing older than she was as it usually got her things she wouldn't usually be able to get…like alcohol and better missions. "Altaïr is a little protective of me; in my country I am a Tiron. I nearly earned Assassin title but my mission went wrong, I was stabbed in the stomach and probably would have bled to death if he had not come."

"This would not normally cause such protection from Altaïr…unless it was his fault that your mission went wrong. Is this the only reason he is willing to vex me on your behalf?" Malik asked as he sketched the market district with a practised hand, there was no reason he should have to stop working while he got to know his guest. He received no answer for a long while and was thinking of a suitable jibe to throw at her just as he looked up. The comment died in his throat – she looked sad with her eyes down cast and a frown playing on her lips.

"I was pregnant during my mission and I did not know…I felt ill, my concentration was off and I made mistakes that only a total beginner would make...I should not have taken that mission…I just wanted to impress my teachers." She saw Malik pause slightly before continuing and humming to show that he was listening. "I suppose Altaïr feels guilty because I was carrying his baby and therefore it was partly his fault I failed…How he figures that I am not sure!"

The Dai's hand slipped and he drew a line through the covered market as his head snapped up at the news. "He has a child?" he had not been told this, he was supposed to be the man's most trusted friend and Altaïr didn't tell him something so important? Shalini gave a little smile and began pulling her tunic up to uncover her stomach, Malik's dark eyes drifted down to the scar that twisted nastily on her skin and then back up to her brown eyes, which she averted. "I think I understand now." he murmured.

"It was a silly drunken thing…we were both new to that part of the east and did not realise that the sweet drink everyone was knocking back was alcoholic until we woke up wishing to die the next day…in the same bed." She took her cup and sipped on the contents in hopes to avoid his wide eyes, "He likes Maria more…so maybe it was fate. Either way, since then he has been watching over me when he can."

"Fate is very often cruel. On a less sad note; you are an Assassin? I am curious about that." She hopped up onto his counter, crossed her legs and nodded happily. Malik stared at her; there was a seat only a few feet away, why was she sitting on the counter like a child? "Comfortable?" she nodded at him, her left hand pushing his cup toward him as a silent order to drink it – she didn't make him a drink for the hell of it! Malik took the cup and examined it carefully – she was small and sweet enough but she was still an Assassin. Deciding it was safe enough, he tried it and had the urge to spit it out and tell her it was foul, "They do not teach you how to make tea in your clan then?" That was the least brutal he could be and her slight frown showed him what she thought of it. "We do not have female assassins here…hence the reason it is a Brotherhood. Are there many women where you are from?"

Shalini nodded slowly, "There are…one, two…Nadia…Sonia…" she went on muttering for a bit, counting each off on her fingers and looking as if she had to really think about it, "Eight!"

"That is not many"

She countered quickly after scoffing, "How many have you got?"

"I concede." Malik smirked at her small victory, "I would imagine you women would all be huddled together."

"Lo, we are not a gaggle of friends like in a village. My sister is a Rafiq in the fortress, she has the most important job as she over sees training, missions and rations…supplies too, I think. She has the best tactical mind I have ever seen…unfortunately it is not shared in our family line. Then there is Nadia, she is an informant and useless in a fight but if you want to know something she is the one to ask. Sonia…She is scary. She is more vicious and violent than any of the men!" she paused to shiver at a memory of the woman, "And then there are three other Tiron – which I have nothing to do with…I bet those little vipers would poison their own mothers given half the chance! We are all different levels of skill and so are in with different instructors. We get thrown in with the boys and have no concessions; in fact we are pushed harder." She watched as Malik let a mildly surprised look pass over his face, it was obvious he was having trouble with the idea of women as assassins and doing his best not to look too cynical. "Do you have any siblings?" she asked out of the blue, "I do not get to see my sister often but we are still close."

He drank more of his tea, forgetting that it was awful and made a face, that was too deep a question for him. He had a sibling, he had had Kadar and he had lost him. it still hurt to remember, to watch novices trip over and think of the younger man, it hurt more than any phantom pain he had ever had in his arm – though, Shalini told him a painful answer…perhaps it would be fair. "I…I had a younger brother and he died the same day I lost my arm." The girl turned her gaze on him as he answered, where he expected to see some form of pity he only saw a look that said she was sorry for his loss and for that, he was thankful. "His name was Kadar."

"Altaïr has mentioned the name before. Sometimes he will see something in the market and remark that 'Kadar would have loved that'…I often wondered who this person was. He also told me that it was his fault you lost your arm but that you would still be able to kick me out of Jerusalem with ease – You will not throw me out will you?"

"Only if you keep talking and sitting on my counter." He said jokingly, "What are you? Some sort of fat kitten?"

"Fat?" she said shrilly. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened at the unintentional insult, "I am not fat! It is these travel clothes and I did not expect this place to be dryer than Assam…You are mean and I dislike you very much." She hopped down from the counter with a pout and an undignified 'humph' which caused the man to laugh at her. Thoroughly scandalised Shalini walked away to inspect the chess table at the end of the room.

Malik reigned in his amusement long enough to observe her sit on a pillow and toy with the pieces on the table. "I did not say you were fat. I was merely stating that cats sit on counters and usually a content cat is fat…I think of you to be about as threatening as a newborn kitten…that is also the runt, oh and meows a lot."

"Zeh lo Ya'azor li" she muttered sulkily before glaring up at him, "At home they call me 'Shalini Ha Neza Aduma'. The Red Hawk…because I am scary! I can air assassinate like a master."

"What do you assassinate? Dogs?"

"No…dummies…but I could…Maspik!" noticing her defensive attitude, Malik decided to stop teasing her in favour of pondering over how a teenage girl managed to almost earn her Assassin rank if she was so easily wound up. In fact, what the hell was someone so young doing taking part in such a mission? No one in the Brotherhood earned Assassin rank until they were at least twenty. They settled into silence again, luckily it was not awkward or uncomfortable and they were able to entertain themselves for almost an hour. Shalini got up after resetting the chessboard and approached the Dai silently, "Malik…is there somewhere I can wash and change or is it just these two rooms?"

Finishing the decoration he was adding to the map, the man glanced at her with something akin to curiosity; how would she react to the answer? "Just these two rooms. There is a basin by the fountain and it is entirely possible someone will jump in through the roof."

"Well, I hope they like what they see because I have sand in places I did not know was possible."

000

Altaïr watched Shalini as she flitted from stall to stall, she had no idea which ones she was looking for but she seemed determined to try and get everything on the list Malik had given them. It was a good chance for her to explore her new surroundings and let Malik get on with more important work than getting food. He had also nearly had a fit when he saw Shalini's outfit and luckily Altaïr appeared to take her away. It was earning her a few looks but this was how the female Assassins dressed in her Clan. She wore an outfit similar to his own, boots, hooded robes, arm bracers and a large belt that held her weapons by her side – though he had confiscated them. Instead of trousers though, she wore shorts that clung to her like a second skin and came down to mid thigh, her arms were bare instead of the usual long sleeved tops that the Brotherhood wore and the bottom hem of the hood was attached to gold lace that criss-crossed down to her chest to reveal what little cleavage she had. It was red instead of white and trimmed or decorated in gold – it was not discreet.

Where she was from the assassins were not a secret, they walked through the streets and were treated as local law enforcement. Here in Jerusalem she was being mistaken for some sort of exotic dancer…if he hadn't of taken her weapons the guards would have seen her right away. "Shalini."

"Yes, Altaïr?" she asked as she spun on her heel to face him and continue walking backwards with her hands clasped behind her back, "Is it about my clothing again? It is all I own, I do not see what is wrong with it…you look just as suspicious!"

"I look like a scholar and you look like a woman for sale – Shalini! Come back!" he hissed as he caught up to the woman who was suddenly walking away from him quickly, he grabbed her wrist to stop her going any further, "I was not calling you a whore – but what you are wearing is very suggestive in this country. I will buy you something more suitable whilst we are here."

She shook her head unhappily and frowned at him, "I do not want you to buy me clothing…can we just get this list filled?" Altaïr reached up and rubbed the crease on her brow until she stopped looking so perturbed, he agreed quickly to her request and asked her to read to him what was needed. "Toda, Alright…let us see…" she pulled the list from her pouch and stared at the neat script spread across it – Malik had beautiful handwriting! It was then she realised something, "I…I can not read this…it is in Arabic. Do not look at me like I am a leper, Altaïr! I can speak your language but I can not read it…argh, why am I in this country again?" her exclamation earned a few stares as she had been a little louder than their quiet words back and forth.

"Give the list to me." She handed it to him begrudgingly and they got to work on collecting everything that had been asked for. Of course she made him carry everything as punishment for something he was not sure he had even done but it suited them both as it made them look like a dancing girl ordering her carer around. They had nearly finished when Shalini began to suffer ever increasing cramps in her lower stomach. "What is wrong? Have you eaten something new or been injured?" he asked as he pulled her to a secluded spot and made her sit.

Shalini shook her head to his questions, she knew what it was but to tell him was going to be embarrassing even if he was her good friend. "Um…well…" she began and then paused. Altaïr was patient as he watched her fidget, her tanned cheeks turn pink and her mouth open and shut like a fish out of water until all that game out was pained groan. "It is…a female thing."

At her mumbled words Altaïr let out a sigh of relief, "You are behaving as if you will die, I am not a boy, Shalini, and I do know how a woman works. Come now." He took her hand and led her to the last few places they needed to visit, he noticed that the longer they took the harder she squeezed his hand and she was noticeably in pain. Upon returning to the bureau he pushed her over onto the pillows and she willing fell into them as he went about putting the shopping away. "Are you done with the reports yet?" Altaïr asked casually when Malik began taking a few things to put away.

"I have, for once I may get an early night because the informers have all reported in and gone home." A thump from the other room made him pause that line of thought, "What is wrong with her and why is she beating up defenceless cushions?"

"She is being how most women are with their monthly cramps…" though; she had never had cramps before. Not in the entire year he had known her. She would get a little moody and would try to assault him more often but that was all – was it just another mystery of the female body or something else? "I will leave this to you." He told the other as he stalked back to the other room, Shalini was huddled into a tight ball on the rugs and cushions; was it really that bad? Sitting beside her Altaïr shook her shoulder gently, "This is not normal for you…are you sure it is not something you have eaten?"

She huffed in annoyance, "It has been normal for nine months, Altaïr…a knife in the stomach does not go down well!"

At her snappish reply the Assassin drew back a little. He knew she didn't like to appear weak in front of others but this was ridiculous if she was in real agony. "This is because of that injury? Because of the miscarriage?"

"Maspik! I do not want to talk about it and you know that!" she ground out after shoving his hand away.

"It was my child too!" he snapped back before getting up and vanishing through the latticed roof. If he stayed he would upset her and the subject was too close to his heart to leave him unaffected. If she wanted to huddle into a ball and suffer than he would let her – he had tried to help her before his guilt made him leave her in the care of her Clan. Altaïr enjoyed his time with her, he enjoyed helping her train and talking with her but he was not ready to face her yet. He was only protecting her because her older sister had written him a letter oozing with hidden guilt trips that he had no choice but to help her integrate into the country – why ere members of the Eastern Brotherhood even moving there?

00

Malik sighed as he watched Altaïr vault, it was wrong of him to just runaway from the girl but he understood it was to keep him from saying something unbearable – which left him to pick up the pieces again! "Mashu sheh-ani yakhol laasot? I can get you something to ease the pain but there is not much that can be done for the internal injury." Once he ascertained a nod from her he went to make her something warm to drink, making sure to slip the herbs into it that would help her – she hadn't even been there a full day and already he had to baby-sit her! Malik had only been a few minutes but when he returned to her she seemed worse. "Here; drink this and put this where it hurts." She sat up and took the flask he had filled with boiling water and then wrapped a flannel around with a look of near awe, "I had a mission once that required me to protect a young girl who suffered these cramps for about three months – I learned more than any fourteen year old boy would ever want to learn. Also there is a rule in my bureau; do not bleed on my rug even if your guts are falling out."

"Al tidahg, I do not bleed…the healer in Assam is certain I will never have children so your rug is safe. This is not a big deal…it has gotten better over the months and it is probably my body healing." She drank from the cup and cringed at the taste, "Ugh! I think I want the hurt more than this."

"That is what I thought about your tea earlier."

Rolling her eyes she replied with false hurt, "You do not like my tea, you do not like my clothes…is there no pleasing you, Malik?"

"I did not say I did not like your clothes." He defended, "I just said you could not go out in them – I like them very much and maybe if you were older, had longer hair and bigger breasts I would find them very pleasing…currently there is not much to look at and so they are simply alright."

"I am going to cut off your other arm and beat you with the soggy end. Pervert!"

000

Another story…but I am too busy playing Brotherhood right now so…updates suspended until Cesare is dead!