Aveline shivered even under all the thick fur she wore. It was still colder than she had expected, not taking Achilles up on his word about how barren and cold the North was compared to the South. He had been right though. She had never seen so much snow nor felt a sharp coldness than she was feeling and seeing right now.

The coldness seemed to weigh her down as she plowed forward through the woods, opting not to take a horse along because of the added burden and because of the unjust treatment she had received in a town a few miles back. Though the north was scarcely populated with her kind, she was still treated like manure, like something people only needed to help grow their crops. Aveline could already imagine how mistreated her "brother" was. The half-European, half-Native assassin must have had a tough time growing up, tougher than her.

Rubbing her hands together, Aveline stopped a moment to gather her bearings. The point of contact with Connor was supposed to be around here somewhere, and Aveline was sure she was going in the right direction. There was a hint of smoke in the air that was getting stronger and stronger as she continued walking.

Passing by a tree, a shudder went down her spine, and she ducked, narrowly allowing the arrow to miss her head. Dropping lower, she rolled a bit to her left, hiding under a bush. She waited a moment, listening to her surroundings, but nothing seemed out of place. The arrow had come due north, a few yards away, but from whom, enemy or not, she didn't know. Could it have been Connor or loyalist scum?

A movement to her right caught her gaze, and she followed it, carefully maneuvering herself so that a tree stood between them at all times. It stopped a few feet from her, and Aveline could see it was only a deer.

She rolled her eyes but stayed alert, knowing that a deer could not have been the one to shoot the arrow at her.

She had been right.

A whoosh sounded to her right. Aveline ducked again, rolling into a thicket of bush before standing and advancing on her attacker. He wore a hood and seemed a bit surprised that she attacked him back, knowing exactly where he was. His movements echoed her own, a bit better, faster.

He kicked away her ax, sending her stumbling back into a tree, but Aveline countered, swerving around it and kicking him in the side as he advanced. The hooded man stumbled, and Aveline triggered her hidden blade, aiming at his throat. However, he proved quicker than her and grabbed her arm, staying her blade.

"You are an Assassin?" His voice was calm, but she couldn't see his face.

Aveline sneered at him, "So what if I am, Monsieur?"

The man released her and stepped back, apologizing. Aveline kept her guard, steadying her blade at her side if he made any sudden movement. He made no attempt toward her, and she eyed him, finally noticing the Assassin's emblem on his belt.

Instantly her demeanor dropped, and she stood, retracting her blade. "Connor? I'm Aveline de Grandpré, your... 'brother' from New Orleans." She inclined her head toward him. Connor did the same.

"Yes, I know. Achilles told me of your arrival and your mission. Sorry I attacked you. Just look at the destruction those men you seek left. I thought you were one of them, left behind." He gestured around them at the burned and chopped down trees and the charred ground.

Aveline smiled sadly at Connor, taking him and his care for nature in. She would not fault him. This time. "I understand."

"The men you seek are still near. Their trail leads this way. We should follow carefully." Connor stated, already turning his back on Aveline and leading the way.

Aveline stayed still as she watched him depart. So this was Connor. Her Northern "brother" burdened by the freedom of their blooming country and the freedom of his own people. What was he truly like? Their cause seemed to be the same. Both of them were struggling with the freedom-liberation-of their people while facing the Templars who challenged their beliefs.

The thought of Templars had her mind returning to her mission at hand. Find this man, Officer Davidson, working for the Company Man and learn the Company Man's identity. With this in mind, Aveline walked off after Connor, advancing on him and taking the lead.

A quick glance over her shoulder toward him let her catch sight of a small smile that played upon his lips. She didn't smile back, facing forward. This was her mission, and though she appreciated his help, she was in charge.

As they walked further, Aveline tried to keep her mind focused on her mission, but she was painstakingly aware of Connor's form walking behind her. Yet, it wasn't just his physical form she was aware of, but his being. There was something about him that intrigued her.

"Connor-" She looked back at him, seeing he stilled and listened intensely to their surroundings. "What is it Connor?"

"Over there," he pointed ahead of them. "It is a trap. I will hold off the men while you take care of the sentry. Go!" Connor ran ahead a second before a group of men came out from beyond the trees, rushing them. Aveline steered clear of them, seeing a lone man running the opposite direction. She ran after him, ignoring the sounds of combat behind her. She had enough faith in Connor to leave those men to him. He was an assassin after all.

After a short run, she easily overpowered the loyalist, tackling him from behind and placing her blade to his neck. He spilled all information he had on Davidson, opting to spare his own life rather than his comrade's. Aveline stood up, allowing the pathetic man to run away.

"And don't let me see you again—you won't be able to run then, " Aveline called after the man as Connor jogged to her side. He watched the man run away.

"You let him go." Aveline noticed that it was a statement and not a question.

"He is of no further use to me. Dead or alive." She glanced over to Connor, but not being able to see his face due to his hood, she turned around. Her mouth fell open a bit at the beautiful waterfall, frozen in the side of the cliff. The very tall cliff.

"The... Fort is at the top or so said the sentry."

"Then we climb." Connor smiled at her, motioning for her to proceed first. It was, after all, her mission.

Aveline pursed her lips at him and walked determinedly toward the frozen waterfall, finding a good starting point. Then she was off. This was nothing to her. She didn't even look down to make sure Connor was following. He should be even more used to this than her.

They both made it to the top in under a minute, Aveline slightly out of breathe. Connor stood at her side, surveying their perimeter.

"You climb as though you've done it your whole life," Connor stated, startling Aveline with the compliment.

"Merci." Aveline smirked and spotted a break in the forest. "This way."

Connor didn't hesitate to follow, allowing the half-African female to lead the way. She had surprised him since the moment they met. Achilles had told him a bit about her past, of how she and her mother were declared free by her white father after her birth. How she had never lived in poverty like the rest of her people, but that caused her to take up arms for them after an incident in a marketplace and the disappearance of her mother.

He couldn't help but think they were similar in a lot of ways. She was merciful and skilled, as great of an assassin as he, probably better. He respected her and had no qualms in helping her in her mission. He'd do anything she needed of him.

They were just starting to clear the break as Connor spotted three soldiers to their left. Aveline must have seen them first because she swerved away from them, not slowing her pace or becoming detected. He followed behind her, emerging from the trees just in time to see her finish off two men swiftly and easily.

She was stealthy and strong, exactly what an Assassin was supposed to be.

A few other loyalists came at the sound of their men, and Connor saw them surround Aveline. He stepped forward to help, but a man kept him at bay with his pistol. Every step he took, the man shot at him. He didn't have time for this. He needed to get to Aveline. The men had ganged up on her, swigging their bayonets and axes. One of the men had injured her side, knocking her down. Connor growled in frustration, eyeing his holder and planning a way to get free. Before he could act though, Aveline had slit the man's throat, freeing him. He watched the man crumble to the ground then his eyes went over to the five men she sprawled out on the ground. She was good.

"Thank you," Connor said, but Aveline had already rushed ahead toward a wooden structure. He caught up easily enough.

Aveline had stalled as Connor pulled up beside her. He looked ahead and saw why. The bridge was out, probably due to the regiment to keep people away from their fort. "Can you get across?"

Aveline gave him an exasperated look before taking off and deftly navigating her way across the broken bridge, making it to the other side in record timing. She kicked down a large beam for Connor to pass over, smiling at him as he made it to her side. Connor noticed that she had used a whip to swing across, but before he could mention it, Aveline took off running through the trees again.

She bypassed a group of soldiers, ignoring them and heading toward the direction they had just left. Connor could feel her determination and anger as they drew closer to the Fort.

"We have to go over the Fort, Connor." He knew what she was referring to even before she started climbing over the snow-clad boulders to take to the trees. He, for one, preferred the trees to walking since it allowed him to get a higher perspective of the area and allowed him the upper hand.

Once over the Fort walls, Connor watched Aveline stealthy take out more soldiers. He kept thinking that she didn't even need his help. He smiled at the thought.

Aveline stopped, back against the wall as she heard men passing by. She knew she was close to getting to the watchtower that Officer Davidson was in and would finally be close to knowing the true identity of the Company Man.

Aveline looked over as Connor jogged to where she was. She couldn't help but smirk. Though she could have done this mission without him, she was actually glad to have him beside her. It was reassuring. "We're almost there." Connor nodded, and they took off. More soldiers were patrolling, and they made quick work of them, reaching the tower only after killing off five or six men.

Reaching the door, Aveline paused a second, taking in a deep breath. Connor pulled up beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder and nodding to her. He was right behind her.

She nodded back and opened the door. "I seek Davidson," she told the men inside. Their weapons aimed at her.

"Officer Davidson, if you would kindly pay me the respect my rank commands now," the man she sought stated as he turned to face her. Aveline's eyes narrowed. She knew that voice.

"It couldn't be..." Aveline whispered in disbelief. Connor was confused, not sure what to do even though he could clearly see that Aveline was dismayed by something about the man.

"What? George? It's you? You're... fighting for the British? And working for my enemy—who would enslave you? I'll say something's 'rank'," Aveline could no longer hold back her anger. She had helped George escape from enslavement, had asked some kind people to help escort him safely to the North, and this is how he repaid her kindness? He betrayed her. He had deceived her.

She heard him sprouting nonsense from his filthy mouth, surprised but seething with anger. Connor watched, knowing instinctively that whoever the man was had betrayed Aveline. Though she looked startled, despite the slip of anger that came out when she identified the loyalist, he could see her shaking with anger at herself and the man; at herself for being foolish enough to allow herself to be deceived by the man. He recognized that anger because he often felt it himself.

After Davidson stopped speaking, expecting an answer from her, she gave him one. Aveline triggered her blade, moving to kill the traitor. His men stopped her, but Connor and her made quick work of them while the coward, Davidson fled. Leaving Connor to finish the men, Aveline caught up to the traitor.

"I had hoped it would not come to this. Now, in death, eternal freedom," Aveline stated as she stood over George, prepared to take his life. George scuffed at her. Before killing him, Aveline demanded he tell her who the Company Man was.

Connor was waiting inside the watchtower after having dealt with Davidson's men. He had seen Aveline rush off after Davidson, but he knew she'd be back and had no need for his help anymore.

He had been right as she strolled back in the watchtower. She seemed listless as she stopped before him, looking around the tower before her eyes fell on him.

"Davidson...?"

"Dead." Connor nodded at the confirmation.

"Did you find what you sought?" He inquired.

"Oui, and much that I didn't..." Connor sensed that she had more to say, so he made no move to leave.

Aveline hesitated for a moment. She looked lost, sad. Uncertain. Connor frowned. What had Davidson said to her to make her look this way?

"Connor... are you always... certain in the means and ways of the Brotherhood?" Her eyes scanned his hooded face for any sign of understanding or reproach.

Connor hadn't expected that, but he didn't fault her for questioning her belief in the Brotherhood. He placed his hand on her shoulder, to signal that he understood her internal conflict. "I... trust my own hands."

Aveline nodded, patting his hand on her shoulder. "Of course."

Connor let his hand slip off her shoulder slowly as she headed toward the door. "Travel safely, Aveline."

She paused at the door, not turning around. "It's the arrival that concerns me."

"Then you are on the right path." Aveline took a step back, meaning to turn to face him, but she stopped, sighing and heading out the door. Connor followed her after a few minutes, replaying the sad look on her face, in her voice, over and over. He'd give anything to see her pain gone.

"Would you mind if I stayed a bit longer. My mind is not ready to face the truths awaiting me in New Orleans." Connor had been startled. Aveline had not left yet but was leaning against the watchtower, waiting for him it seemed.

"Let's go." He would not question why she didn't leave nor would he question why he was happy that she didn't leave.

Aveline gestured for Connor to lead the way to his home, and she saw the flicker of a smile cross his lips.

As they walked, the snow started falling again. Aveline looked up, following behind Connor, thinking about what awaited her in New Orleans and what life had in store for her, and if she was ready for it. She also wondered why she kept picturing Connor as she thought of her future. Would he really be willing to follow her in life, despite his own? Could she count on him?

The wind picked up and scattered her thoughts as she shivered. Well, whatever life threw her way, she was sure she would get through it. With or without Connor.