Author Note: this story has somewhat of a slow start though it will pick up, it centers mainly around Malik and the OC Basira. It is rated M for later chapters, I hope you enjoy!

At the age of ten Basira was offered to Al Mualim by her parents; they were poor farmers who could no longer provide enough to take care of the girl as well as themselves. They begged him to take the child, to give her a better life than they could offer her; the master of the assassins obliged and to took the young girl away.

Thus she went to the Assassins' Order in Masyaf, though she was not to be trained as an assassin; she like other young ones her age would be taught by the women in the garden in the arts of dance, literature, healing, and seduction. When old enough she would be one that the brother assassins could seek companionship in, like they did with the other women; whether in be words, dance or pleasure, she would be there to quell their needs.

This was an opportunity, an opportunity for a new life, one far different than her parents could have ever anticipated for their child; though the question remained if little Basira could acclimate to this new way of life...

~*~

Before her twelfth birthday the Basira was found to have a natural talent for salves and herbs, and thus placed under Uzma's guidence, to further her abilities, her other studies not all forgotten, but Uzma's teaching took priority.

It was there under Uzma's tutelage that she met Rim, a shy, somewhat clumsy girl only one year younger than herself, little Rim also became the first friend she had ever had...

"Rim, you are going to drop it..." Basira whispered to the younger girl as she shakily tried to pour the aloe vera pulp into her mortar.

"I don't want to add too much." the girl replied sounding very flustered.

"Aloe vera is not really an ingrediant you have to worry about adding too much of." Basira replied. " This poultice is a simple one if that, you need not worry."

Rim looked at the older female, a pout on her fair face.

"I know it is simple...I just don't want to mess up such a simple recipe...I get nervous..."

"Rim, have you added that aloe vera yet?" the two heard Uzma question from the marble bench on which she sat, a pile of scrolls and books at her side.

"N-not yet ma'am..." the young one replied softly.

"There are two simple ingredients Rim, aloe, and witchhazel, there is almost nothing you can do to mess it up." the elderly woman sighed, not looking up from the scroll she was scanning through.

"But, I don't want to add too much."

"Child! This poultice, is merely something one uses to soothe irritated and bruised flesh, you do not ingest it, it is a gel, and one you need not worry about." Uzma called back, sounding somewhat frustrated.

Basira looked up form her mortar to see Rim looking as though she were going to cry.

"Oh, Rim..." she tried to soothe the distraught girl, who quickly looked back at her mortar.

The girl gulped, closed her eyes and dumped the bowl of plant pulp.

"Rim...you missed..."

Rim opened her eyes to see the other half of her mixture on the grass next to her, she let out a frustrated wail and scurried off to get more aloe vera.

... Rim didn't stay long under Uzma's tutelage, when it came to salves the girl became a nervous reck and before the year had ended she had been placed under the teachings of Safiya and managed to excel in the art of dance and song.

and although new students were drawn under Uzma's wing, Basira, never grew to be quite as fond of them as she had with Rim.

The two friends managed to see each other on occasion, though rarely when Basira was leaning of dance, Rim had excelled far beyond her. Instead it was usually during meals, before bed, or when their lessons coincided with eachother, and when they did they would giggle at each other from across the garden as if they had just heard the other say a very humorus joke; neither of their instructors were usually pleased about that and both usually received a scolding...

~*~

The first time she saw him was on a hot summer afternoon when she was but a girl of thirteen; he was not a usual to the garden and she assumed that it was his first time entering it.

"Basira, it is not polite to stare."

Basira quickly whipped her head around, her cheeks rosey with the heat of embarressment, it was not the first time she had been caught starring.

"I-I apologize mistress, I did not mean to be rude." she quickly replied, hanging her head slightly.

"I know that you are curious child, but you must try to pay attention to your lessons." Uzma chided the young girl.

"Yes ma'am..." she said glancing over her shoulder. "Uzma, is he new to the garden?"

Basira heard the elderly woman sigh.

"No he is not, but the younger man with him is, it is his brother, Kaddar." replied the mistress, trying to edge the girl back into her studies.

"Oh,...I have never seen them." Basira replied and Uzma could tell that the young girls curiosity was not yet satiated.

"Malik, rarely comes to this place, and his brother has just recently earned the right; now child we must return to your lessons."

"Yes ma'am..." she replied, knowing she would not be able to extract anymore information from her mentor that day.

~*~

Throughout the next two years Basira saw new assassins come and go on occasion, she saw much of Kaddar but little of his elder brother; thus she assumed that he did not like the garden or perhaps was to busy to take the time to visit it.

Then one fall evening whilst she was reviewing a few scrolls on herbs and poultices a pair of assassins entered the garden, their hushed squabling catching her attention quickly. Carefully she placed her scrolls down and scurried closer to the two hooded men; pressing up against a pillar she hid herself in it great shadow as she proceeded to listen to the arguing assassins.

Within the twilight she managed to make out the mens face; one the elder brother of Kaddar, the other a man she could not recognize, perhaps a newcomer to the garden. Pressing closer to the cool marble she continued to peer around the stone and listened closely hoping to catch snippets of their conversation.

"Your actions were rash today brother..." she heard Malik, hissed sourly.

"I fail to see the problem." replied the other.

To Basira the other man sounded quite arrogant, and Malik sounded quite feed up with him.

"You venture too close to breaking the rules of the creed." the elder assassin spat.

"Those, are merely guidelines, Malik..."

"One of these days, you will go too far Altair...and when that day comes I hope the master with be merciful..."

Altair she had heard of this assassin before, many times in fact, some of the brothers reveared him while others seemed to dislike him; Malik seemed to disapprove of him.

"That day will not come..." Altair replied confidently.

Malik sighed in frustation.

"I hope you are right...peace be with you brother." he said gruffly before taking his leave, exiting the garden briskly.

Within the darkening twilght she saw the one called Altair turn towards her hiding place and she quickly retreated back behinde the pillar, hoping he hadn't seen her.

"It isn't wise to eavesdrop on others conversations." she heard him call out to her and she knew she had been caught, and slowly she came out from her hiding place.

"I am sorry assassin...my curiousity seemed to get the better of me, I apoligize..." she said trying her best not to sound fearful of the man before her.

"What is your name?" he questioned harshly

"...Basira sir..." she replied timidly, averting her eyes from his piercing stare

"You are Uzma's protege, are you not..." he said, it was more of a statement than a question.

"I am one of her students, yes...you have heard of me?" she asked trying to hide her surprise.

"She and some of the brothers, speak of you...you ask a lot of questions...too many sometimes I have heard." he replied cooly.

Basira bristled and felt her face heat up up in embarressment, she did not ask too many questions...did she?, and besides what was so wrong about being curious?

"Well...if that is what you have heard." she said somewhat heatedly, though she did not mean to take that tone with a man of his stature and renown.

"They also say that you are one of the best students to have ever worked in medicines..." he added, catching her attention.

"...Really?" immediately chiding herself, another question.

"Though I wonder which you live up to more..."

Beneath his hood she good see a smirk grow on his lips, now he was just being rude.

Before she could say anything more he turned on his heel and took his leave.

"Safety and peace..." he called back as he disappeared into the twilight.

Basira let out a frustrated huff, not sure if she liked the arrogant assassin.

"Jerk..." she said to herself as she stared off into the night.

"Basira!"

She turned to see Rim walking briskly towards her.

"Rim, what is it?" she questioned.

"I didn't see you at supper..." the young one replied, looking somewhat dissapointed.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I was studying a few recipes and I must have lost track of the time..."

"Oh...well, it's almost time for us to return to our quarters..." Rim said looking out into the twilight, only a sliver of sunlight was managing to stream into the garden, bathing the marble statues and pillars in orange light.

Basira nodded and began to walk towards womens chambers with Rim, enjoying the tranquility, coolness of the oncoming night.

"Did you learn any new recipes?"

"...Hm?" Basira questioned, slightly embarrassed she hadn't been paying attention to her friend.

"I said, did you learn any new recipes." Rim repeated.

"No, not really, I was just reading up on a few...well I was up until the assassins known as Malik and Altair entered the garden..." she replied, saying Altair's name somewhat distastefully.

"Altair?!" her friend seemed quite enthusiastic to hear more at the mention of his name.

"Yes...my curiousity took hold of me once again, and I might have listened in on their conversation a little..." Basira said somewhat hesitently.

"Basira, that is very unwise! Rim exclaimed coming to a stop on the staircase they were currently ascending. "...What did they say?"

Basira chuckled and contunied walking forcing her companion to do the same if she wished to hear the rest of the story.

"Not, much...It just sounded like Malik was not at all pleased with Altair's actions."

"Oh...that sounds rather dull..." the girl sounded disappointed.

Basira merely let out a hum before continuing.

"Not at all...especially not when I got caught..."

"You got caught?!" Rim, once again enthralled in the tale, her eyes shinning in interest.

"Yes...by Altair no less...And I must said I'm not impressed with his character." Basira relpied sounding rather blase about the matter.

"How ever not?" Rim sound incredulous.

"He is rude, and arrogant...and...and a jerk, you know he said I asked to many questions!" she hissed as she stood at the door to her quarters.

"Basira..." Rim said as she began to walking backwards towards her own chambers.

"Yes?" she questioned.

"You do ask a lot of questions." the girl said quickly before running off to the safety of her sharred room, giggling all the way.

"Rim, that isn't fair!" Basira whinned childishly, a pout on her pretty face.

After a few moments of useless pouting the adolescent finally entered her chambers, questioning herself if she indeed asked too many questions. She would have asked one of her roommates but that would indeed be another question...and she didn't want to give them a reason to agree with Rim and Altair.