Chapter 1:
It was a chilly winter afternoon in Boston. The streets, which were usually so lively with noise and people, were now close to being empty and the amount of people were thinning by the hour. Alicia inhaled the cold air and exhaled deeply as her breath rose into the air. She urged her horse into a trot as she set her sights on a large house at the end of the street. The house was pure white with three floors and had another house connected to it at the back. The young girl dismounted her horse as she arrived at the picket fence. She took the reins of her steed in her hand and led him through the gate to the back of the house where there was a small stable with two other horses tied to their own stalls. She tied her own horse to the third stall and pulled over a few stacks of hay and a bucket of water. She quickly brushed him down as he ate and gave him a quick pat on the neck before heading toward the back door of the front house.
She peered inside as she opened the door. It was dark with only a few rays of the fading daylight coming through the open door and windows. She entered and tiredly sighed as she loosened the heavy winter cloak she had wrapped around her. Fortunately, the house was much warmer than the outside and she sighed contentedly as she rubbed her hands together. After hanging the cloak on the door hanger she noticed a faint light coming from atop the stairs. She adjusted the bag around her shoulders and headed toward the stairs and called, "Master Kenway? Master Lee?"
As she walked up the stairs she could hear faint mumbling coming from one of the rooms on the second floor closely followed by footsteps. A closed door opened on the second floor and light flooded the darkening house. Once at the top of the stairs she was greeted by a man with a prominent mustache. His sharp eyes softened a bit at the sight of her, "Alicia, how are you?" He stepped away from the door holding his arm out for her to enter the room. She bowed her head a bit, "Tired, Master Lee, but well." She walked into the room and was greeted by another man who was clean shaven and had his hair tied back in a ponytail. He was seated near a desk where there lay a three-cornered hat. He had turned to her as she entered and allowed a small smile to reach his face, "Alicia, we wondered when you would return. I trust you are well?" As she did with the other man, she bowed her head, "I am, Master Kenway."
The seated man, Haytham Kenway, nodded, "And did you receive any news from your father?" The girl's hand quickly goes to her bag. She rummages through it as she pulls out an envelope and hands it over to him, "He sends his regards but says that his last clue turned out to be misinformation. He is currently working on finding another lead. He offers his apologies for the delay." The Grandmaster waved the apology off, his eyes concentrated on the paper, "No need, I would have been shocked if that lead proofed to be real. Henry never did seem the patient type." Charles Lee, the one who greeted her at the door, walked over to another chair near the desk and sat, "Any other news?" Haytham handed over the letter to his second-in-command as Alicia answered, "Nothing of great significance."
Haytham nodded and gave Alicia a long look, "Was the trip that tiring?" She rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand, "I wouldn't say the trip itself was tiring, sir." Lee looked up after finishing the letter, with a smirk, "I dare say it has something to do with that young Adrian boy, doesn't it?" Alicia nodded, embarrassed, "Unfortunately." Haytham looked between the two in question, "Adrian? Adrian Pennell? Charlie's boy?" Before Lee could answer Alicia responded, "Yes, sir. He has been trying to...court me." Realization dawned on Haytham, "Ah. I'm assuming you do not appreciate his advances?" The girl shook her head, "No, sir. I have told him repeatedly that I have duties to the Order and a relationship will only keep me from that. Besides, he's far too clingy."
The two men chuckled as Alicia huffed. Lee gave her a small smile, "Perhaps we should have a word with him." She shook her head quickly, "Please, don't concern yourself with him. Should he try anything I don't approve of, I can deal with him."
"Of that, I have no doubt," said Haytham as he stood from his seat and walked over to her, "Now, it's getting late, there are things I need to discuss with Charles and I'll need some other things delivered in the morning. Rest for today." She stood as well and bowed her head to the two men and retreated from the room. She went over to the stairs that lead to the third floor. A lone door was at the top of the stairs. She let loose a relieved sigh as she entered her room. She quickly walked over to her desk and lit the candle that was at the edge. She dug into her messenger bag again and pulled out another envelope. She sat on her chair as she opened the paper. It was from Old Man Achilles. She was surprised to find a messenger waiting for her at the Frontier with the letter. She had heard from her father that Achilles had retired from the Brotherhood and had become a recluse who had given up on the Assassin's. So she wondered why he would suddenly contact anyone connected to the Brotherhood. She quickly opened it and read:
Miss Walker,
I hope this letter finds you well. I know you must be wondering why I would go out of my way to contact you now. I know that your father has spoken of me to you. He had written to me several times while he was in Boston, keeping me updated on the goings-on of the Templars, even though I no longer cared. His last letter to me mentioned that he had left you to keep an eye on their activities in his place while he traveled back to Spain to settle some matters of the Brotherhood there. I write this letter to inform you that I can no longer turn a blind eye to my duties as Mentor. I have come across a recruit for the Brotherhood, a very naive, yet honorable young Native boy, who has been tasked with a mission by Those Who Came Before. I hope that you will pay us a visit soon so that we may speak more openly.
Yours in brotherhood,
Achilles
P.S. Give your reply to the same man who delivered this letter. His name is Bill Renolds. He'll ask for proof of our connection. You know what to show him. He resides in Lexington.
Alicia sat back in disbelief. She had believed, for a while, that she was the only person in the colonies that had a connection to the Assassin's. It seemed as if an entire weight had been lifted from her shoulders. When her father had left to return to Spain, she had been so afraid. There wasn't anyone for her to turn to, no siblings, no friends. But now there was someone reaching out to her, however late it was, someone she could count and depend on. She opened one of her desk drawers and took out a piece of parchment and a quill. She had to write the letter tonight so that she could take it to Renolds tomorrow.
But when would she be able to go?
She thought about the days to come. If she were to leave for a long period of time, Haytham and Lee would suspect something. And then she remembered that Haytham and Lee were planning to go and check on things in New York, since they had practically established a permanent base in Boston, they were looking to secure New York as well. Haytham said they'd be leaving Boston around the last week of Decemeber. She quickly wrote her reply to Achilles, sealed it and put it in her messenger bag. She then changed out of her trousers and long sleeved shirt and slipped into her shift. After blowing out the candle she walked over to her bed and fell asleep after a few minutes.