Author's note: I do not own Assassin's Creed they belong to the awesome and creative minds of Ubisoft. Celeste however, is mine, along with her story that I spent days trying to figure out how to place her into the universe to be real and most believable. I hope you enjoy!

May, 1775

Two months ago, the building was abandoned. She remembered it in passing. It was a dull colored manor, with broken windows and an overgrown lawn. Looking at it now though, you would never believe, that a few short weeks ago, it did nothing but house pigeons and collect dust. As she studied the exterior, she couldn't help but notice the craftsmanship that had gone into the new woodwork and windows. The flowerbeds were tastefully redone, and she could even smell the fumes of fresh paint lingering softly in the air. All of which would have been a marvel to look at, had it not been for the fact that a dozen British soldiers stood guard before it.

Celeste smiled to herself as she studied the manor from the shadows of a nearby ally. In just a few minutes she would be meeting the illusive Henry Wales. A man she knew, through stolen correspondence, received his orders directly from Charles Lee. She had been tracking Wales for weeks, after he went into hiding after the events in Lexington and Concord, under John Pitcairn's orders.

Her ultimate target though, was Haytham Kenway. The man solely responsible for the massacre of the entire Assassin order, but finding him was becoming impossible. She knew Henry here, was Charles Lee's lap dog, and he was Keyway's right hand man. So getting to Wales had been a top priority for her. It had been something of a challenge, to finally track him down to Boston, but Celeste knew killing him would not be, and she had found the perfect cover.

The one thing Celeste knew best was how much a man loved to talk when a woman was on her knees. The information they would leak when a woman gave them the ride of their lives, or a good stiff drink; and the crowns men loved to talk, especially when their loneliness was appeased. The information was received by a close friend, Vivian Du Mont, the head mistress at Boston's most high class brothel, The Diamond Rose. Apparently, Henry Wales had an appetite for the finer things in life. Expensive wine for his extremely expensive women. Vivian had already sent two of her girls this week alone, and Celeste saw this as the perfect opportunity to slip in under the pretense of overpaid sex.

Celeste checked her reflection in a broken window, making sure her blond wig and glasses were snuggly in place, her heavy makeup flawless. She puffed up her skirts checking the folds, where a few concealed throwing knives were stashed. She couldn't help but smile to herself while she examined the straps on her armband, making sure the puffy sleeves didn't reveal the leather underneath. Flicking her wrist she watched as her hidden blade shot out and moved back in effortlessly. Perfect. Everything was in order. The only thing left was to make it through the front door.

Putting on her best seductive smile, she blended in with a group of civilians that passed the ally, and turned slowly onto the path towards the manor. She was slow in her approach, making sure not to glance at any of the guards. It needed to look like she belonged there. Some of the guards did stare though, others leered and some even ignored her, but as she made her way towards the front door, she knew she was in for it.

There were two guards. The one on the left was a bit pudgy, with a large nose that dominated most of his face. He was a balding middle age man, who, by the way he was looking at her, probably only got laid by paying for it. The other was a young man who barely looked as if he had even left his teenage years behind him. The look in his eyes though, was cruel and hungry. She kept her composure when they blocked her path, but made sure her smile, never wavering from her lips.

"Look at what we have here." Pudgy said grinning, as he sucked on his teeth and eyed her from head to toe. Celeste started playing with her lace choker, trailing her fingers across the tops of her breasts. The movement bringing their attention to her cleavage, just like she intended.

"Good day, my fine gentleman. My name is Emily. My services have been called upon by Master Wales. He is expecting my arrival."

"You're early." Pudgy said circling behind her, she knew he was trying to get a good look at her 'wares' and did not concern herself with him. She turned her gaze towards the younger guard and tried to sound as suave as possible.

"Madam Du Mont values her business with Master Wales. She made sure he would not be kept waiting."

"Your one of Du Mont's girls?" The boy asked, a bit too eagerly as he began opening the door, his gaze moving back towards her chest. "I heard her girls are the best in town."

"And expensive as fuck." Pudgy retorted, circling back around to move in closer. Celeste's skin began to crawl, and she had to battle the fight or flight response as every nerve in her body wanted to flinch away from him. "When you're through, would you mind if my friend and I got a taste?" Pudgy put his nose close to her throat and inhaled deeply. "You smell clean. I always wanted to try one of Du Mont's girls."

Celeste's smile faltered as she fought down a wave of nausea at the thought of their hands on her body. Seeing them naked in her mind was almost unbearable. She swallowed hard trying to regain her composure and forced her voice to become low and husky. She turned her face towards Pudgy and glanced at his lips, before meeting his lecherous gaze. His breath smelled like old ale and dirty clothes. She wanted to throw up on him.

"Gentlemen, I am flattered you would wish the presence of my company. Perhaps something can be arranged with Madam Du Mont." She moved her hand slowly towards Pudgy's collar, her fingers playfully running down his chest, making sure that his eyes went back to her cleavage. "I do love a man in uniform after all."

Both men snickered in delight. The younger one licked his lips as he spoke. "Maybe the Madam doesn't have to know." He said excitedly. "We can call it a service to the crown."

What. The. Fuck. Didn't these guys see that she was in a hurry? Celeste knew if she didn't get past these two men, her window of opportunity would close. She could just imagine Vivian's real girl showing up twenty steps behind her while these two jerkoffs were taking up her time. She had to move, and quick.

"Gentlemen, I do support his Majesty and the Crown, but I fear to keep Master Wales waiting much longer. I hear his temper can be a bit… intimidating. After I conclude my business, we can continue this discussion in a more… private setting, if it suits you."

Both men nodded in approval ushering her through the open door. Pudgy pulled away from her and winked.

"I'll be looking forward to your return, girly."

Celeste's smile widened as she slightly bowed to them. She knew if she ever did see Mr. Piggy again, she was going to kill him. The thought was enough to bring her enough pleasure as she made her way down a long hallway to where another guard waited for her. She was a little surprised that he was actually quite handsome, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. She smiled at him, but he didn't even so much as glance at her.

"Go up the stairs and make a right down the hallway. The Lieutenant is in the office at the end of that corridor." He turned and quickly left her standing their alone. It appeared as though someone didn't like whores.

Celeste slowly began ascending the stairs, taking a deep breath to calm her nervous anticipation. She knew exactly where Wales would be, even without the guard telling her. She had studied the building plans for weeks. Learned every corridor and tunnel, in case the worst should happen, but so far, so good, this was turning out to be easier than she thought.

Soon she would learn the whereabouts of Charles Lee, and through him, Kenway. She could almost see the end of her long quest in front of her. She smiled in satisfaction, savoring this brief moment of clarity. Revenge was always a good motivator, and even though she tried never to take an innocents life, she knew Wales was no innocent, and had to die.

Celeste turned at the top of the stairs and headed towards Wales's office. Stopped at his door she quickly glanced around. For some reason she didn't see any guards and was uncertain if that was a blessing, or not. It did seem a bit odd, but she really had no time to dwell on it. Slowly turning the handle, she put on her best seductive smile and made her way inside. It was time to do what she was trained for. It was time to kill Wales.

Connor gritted his teeth in frustration. Nothing! There was nothing here! He yelled in his head, while he finished scanning the letters on Wales's desk. There was no information on the whereabouts of Lee, and Connor could feel the anger starting to spread like wildfire within his chest. He believed Sam Adams to be a decent man, and this information had seemed to be good upon receiving. Was it possible that Wales had been tipped off right before his arrival? Did he somehow know he was being targeted? Connor thought for a moment as he pondered what his next move would be.

Getting in was simpler then he thought it would be. He had entered through a second floor window facing the ally. Only three guards occupied the floor, and were spaced out enough, that he was quickly, and silently, able to take them out. Stashing their bodies in a side room, was the easiest part. However, when he opened the door at the end of the hall, he felt his heart stop when the tinkering of a bell sounded. Apparently Wales had rigged a small chime which would ring, every time someone crossed the threshold into his office.

Thankfully, Wales was nowhere in sight and Connor quickly darted towards the back of the office, and concealed himself within the shadows of a large curtain. He heard Wales enter through a side door just as he took cover, his voice was eager and his steps hurried.

"You're early, my dear." He heard him say, hesitating when he realized no one was around. Connor watched his movements carefully, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. When Wales placed a bottle of wine on his desk and sat before it, he saw his opening. Silently positioning himself behind Wales he swiftly covered the man's mouth with his hand. Wales jerked in surprise grabbing at his wrist in alarm, his screams muffled by the strong grip over his face, he started fighting, but it was already too late. Connor slid his hidden blade into Wale's back, jerking it to puncture his heart, making for a quick death. The man barely let out a sound, as Connor withdrew his blade and let him go hastily. The body fell to the desk and then slid onto the floor, knocking over papers as he went, his last breath leaving his body.

Connor moved away from the desk, glancing down at the lieutenant's face. The blue of his eyes already beginning to lose their vibrancy, as the vacant grasp of death took hold of him. Connor felt no remorse for the man he had just killed. Unlike him, this man's hands were stained with the blood of innocents. Even if he did not receive his orders from Charles Lee, Wales was responsible for the capture and enslavement of over a hundred native men, women and children; all in the name of trying to keep the peace, but Connor knew better. This war was just beginning.

He crouched down and sifted through the letters scattered upon the floor, his eyes quickly skimming over the pieces of parchment. He knew he would not be able to stay much longer; knew Wales presence would most likely be missed; but he didn't want to leave empty handed. Fueled by a deep desperation to find even one lick of information, Connor quickened his pace, looking for any sign of Lee's name.

Connor was just finishing one of the last letters when he heard the door knob slowly turn. Jumping up immediately he ran towards the door and obscured himself in the shadows where the door would open. He had one chance to do this correctly, and silence the person coming through, before they alerted more guards. Connor tried never to take an innocents life, but he knew whoever had dealings with Wales was no guiltless party. He flicked his wrist and unsheathed his hidden blade.

Celeste turned the knob slowly and let herself in. She knew Wales was expecting her, so knocking wasn't a necessity. No need for formality when you were posing as a whore, right? The first thing she noticed was how dim the lighting was. Only a handful of candles were lit, casting the majority of the room into shadows. She smiled to herself at the thought of Wales's failed attempt at trying to set the mood for her. As Celeste opened the door her attention was diverted above, when she heard a bell go off. A little paranoid are we? She frowned as she closed the door and took a step further into the room, bringing her attention to the scene before her.

A body laid face down upon the floor, near the far side of the room, partially hidden by a desk. Pieces of parchment were scattered upon the ground. She didn't need to be the smartest person alive to already know the person was Wales and the dark substance on the wood was his blood. She suddenly knew someone was here, sensing the presence before she saw it. Faster than she could react, she was roughly grabbed and jerked back against someone's chest. Fuck.

Her captor held her with incredible strength. One hand clasped over her mouth, the other over the front of her body with a knife pressed to her throat. Any normal person would have been scared out of their mind. A woman, more likely would have begun crying or praying. Not her though, she was only pissed. She would most likely die now without getting close to fulfilling her duty.

"If you scream, I will kill you."

The man, she knew now, had a deep smooth voice with the hint of an accent that she couldn't place. Celeste didn't flinch nor make a sound as she waited for his next move. She honestly was a little curious who the man who beat her to her target was, but realized any information she could have gotten out of Wales, was now lost. If those fucking guards hadn't delayed her downstairs, she would've been the one to kill Wales and get the information on Lee. Instead she was held up and now captured by this would be assailant. If he planned on raping her, boy did she have a surprise for him.

Celeste couldn't control her body from shaking in anger, uncaring if the man misinterpreted it for fear. She heard him release a sigh most likely trying to figure out if he wanted to kill her or not. She was an unforeseen obstacle, just like he was for her. Another minute passed and Celeste slowly began letting her body relax against him. She knew if he was going to kill her she would have already been dead. This man was no ordinary thug.

"I am going to let you speak. I advise you to heed my warning."

The man slowly released his hold over her mouth, but kept the dagger at her throat. Any normal woman would have asked what was to be done with her, but the only thing on her mind was Wales.

"Please tell me you got information off him, before you killed him?"

The man hesitated for a moment, most likely caught off guard with inquiry to Wales, rather than of her own wellbeing.

"He revealed nothing." The man said plainly. She did not know if he was telling the truth and blew caution to the wind when she decided to elaborate. Let's just assume they were on the same team for a moment.

"Charles Lee. Did he say anything about that man?"

"What do you know of Charles Lee?" His voice turned venomous, his hold on her tightening as he dug the dagger harder against her throat. Ah, a soft spot. So for the moment they were on the same side.

"Nothing yet. Let me go so I can check the correspondence!"

She felt the tenseness leave his body while he weighed her words. After another moment of exchanged silence, his arm quickly fell away from her. Celeste didn't hesitate as she rushed forward to where Wales lay dead upon the floor. Not even caring to glance back at her assailant. Her focus was on finding Lee, the other man she could deal with later. Kill him if she must. She knelt on the floor and began shuffling through the scattered papers that lay upon it.

"I read the letters. They do not mention anything about Lee." He said as she heard him take a few steps forward. Shaking her head in denial, she kept searching.

"That cannot be possible. A meeting was to be made soon. He was to receive correspondence of the location." Celeste spoke without thinking and regretted it almost immediately, not knowing if this man was an enemy, or worse, a Templar. Maybe Wales was not fulfilling his quota and he needed to be removed from power. The best way to do that was to hire a mercenary. Well, that explained the missing guards on the second floor.

"A meeting? Are you sure about this?" His footsteps were light upon the floor as he hurried towards her, his clothes shuffling as he crouched down, reaching for a few papers in her peripheral vision.

"Check for a code or something that sounds out of place. Like 'the all-seeing hand guides us' or 'the serpent waits in the shadow of deliverance' and then a location. Something like that."

Celeste glanced at Wales's body, following the pool of blood that trailed over some of the papers. She caught sight of a letter caught underneath his hand.

"You missed one." She said quickly, grabbing his arm and peeling the blood stained paper off his skin before dropping his hand, as if it were something insignificant. She unfolded the letter and tried to read past the red stains that saturated it.

"You do not seem upset that your master is now dead."

"Wales was not my master. I came to kill him." She could feel his gaze ripping into her and suddenly felt uncomfortable under their weight.

"Just who exactly are you?"

Celeste finally tore her eyes away from the task at hand and looked at the man, who just a minute ago, could have killed her. What she saw was the last thing she ever expected, and for a moment, her heart stopped beating.

He was dressed mostly in white. His coat laid open with a dark blue collared trim on both sides of the front, revealing a pleated waistcoat beneath. Matching dark blue breeches were hidden underneath leather thigh high boots. She didn't get a chance to examine his clothing further as she tried to gaze into the shadows of his face, which was hidden underneath a white hood fastened at the shoulders of his coat. A bird with its wings stretching out was embroidered at the temples edge and along the front.

She could just imagine what she must have looked like to him. Her eyes wide and unbelieving; her mouth agape in shock; her chest rising heavily when the world seemed to freeze around her. She almost didn't want to blink. Convinced that if she looked away for even one second, he would disappear as a figment of her imagination, but she had to know. The outfit was not something worn by those unfamiliar. The last time it was seen was on her brother Gabriel. She chanced it and glanced down at his arm.

There on his left leather armband, molded in silver and expertly placed, was the symbol of the Creed. How is this even possible? She thought they had all nearly been wiped out years ago. Did others survive? No, impossible. Before she could even think, her hand shot out and grabbed onto his left arm.

The man was just as quick as he moved to pull his arm away from her. He lost his balance at the unexpected movement on both their parts, which resulted in him falling on his haunches and her across his thighs. She clutched onto his arm. His reflexes were swift, and he in turn took his other hand and grabbed her shoulder, steadying her from toppling all over him. Her hand landed on his inner thigh as she caught herself from completely sprawling all over his lap.

She didn't even think to get embarrassed at the intimacy of their position because her eyes never wavered from his inner arm. The mechanism was now in plain sight. Something she thought she would never see again on another person. The hidden blade, an assassin's most coveted weapon.

"You survived." She said in awe, finally forcing her gaze away to the man's face. Now that she was so close to him, and the angle they were forced to peer at each other with, his face was no longer concealed in shadow. Deep brown eyes pierced into her underneath a heavyset brow. His stare was hard and unwavering as he regarded her with cautious interest. He was not a settler like she originally assumed him to be, but had deep tanned skin. He was not dark like most of the natives she had seen, but he did share some of the characteristics of one. Was he half?

She tried to take in everything she could about him. Thick eyebrows, a squared nose, nostrils larger than most but not disproportioned. It seemed to fit faultlessly on him though. The lines of his cheek bones were sharp and chiseled. His lips were thick and full, his jaw perfectly squared. He was the epitome of male masculinity and was far from ugly. He had an outlandish, wild look about him, but what got her the most were his eyes, which she seemed to be caught in.

The man took a deep breath, breaking the trance that befell her. She watched the movement of his throat; the rise and fall of his chest. Around his throat was a necklace with three animal teeth hanging down in a native design. She wondered if it was from an animal he had killed himself.

"Who are you?" He asked again, his voice low, starting to turn husky. She stared at his lips. An overwhelming urge to know if he tasted as exotic as he looked went through her mind. She had almost lost the battle with her impulses, when yelling and heavy running was heard on the floor below them, snapping her from her daze.

Celeste muttered a curse as they both scrambled to their feet. She looked around quickly and ran toward a bookcase that stood at the side of the door. Grabbing the heavy wood she began sliding it closer to the entryway. She looked at the man as she struggled against the weight.

"My disguise has most likely been discovered." Another second and the man was beside her, helping to topple the heavy wood against the closed door. Books and other paraphernalia spilling out onto the floor, erupting in a loud crash. She took a moment to catch her breath and get her bearings, watching as her assailant ran to the open window to make an escape.

Almost immediately he darted against the wall when shouts came from below. A shot rang out hitting the ceiling where he hid. He frowned as he looked at her.

"This way is blocked to us." As if emphasizing what he said, banging started to come from the other side of the door.

"Make Ready!" A man yelled. Celeste gasped in alarm.

"Duck!" She yelled to the hooded man as she scrambled to the side of the door to avoid fire. The man lunged toward the desk bracing his back against the wood.

"Fire!" The soldier yelled. Shots rang out through the wood of the door and bookcase in front of it. Celeste had to cover her ears at the roar of the muskets. The faint smell of gunpowder and smoke wafted through the holes in the door. After the last gun went off the native man darted up and ran till his back was against the wall beside her.

"Why are they firing?" She asked loud enough for him to hear while another 'make ready' was heard from the other room.

"They probably already know Wales is dead." He replied glancing around the room, looking for a way of escape. Celeste bent down and grabbed the hem of her skirt hiking it up around her thighs. The man quickly looked away to give her privacy.

"What are you doing?"

"My dagger is strapped to my thigh." Just as Celeste grasped her dagger and dropped her skirts, the man gripped both her shoulders and pulled her further from the door when the muskets went off again, his eyes continuing to scan the room.

"We need to get out of here."

"I know. Follow me."

Gripping the dagger in her palm she scrambled to the other side of the door the hooded man right on her heels. She could hear the muskets being reloaded for a third time. Spinning the knife in her hand, she wedged it behind a painting that covered a section of the wall, floor to ceiling. As she pried the section of the painting off the wall, she sank her fingers into the gap and began to pull. The man followed her lead, helping to swing the door open enough for them to quickly slip through.

She went in first, grabbing a low lit lantern while she heard the wall close behind her and a large wooden lock slide into place. They both hurried through the corridor and down a flight of stairs. She stopped to catch her breath, the rush of adrenaline beginning to fade.

She turned to the native, gripping her dagger in her hand as she studied him. She couldn't see his face under the darkness of the hood but knew he was aware of her defensive stance.

"How did you know about this door?" His voice dripped with suspicion while he held his hand out for the lantern, flexing his fingers to indicate that she should hand it over.

"I've been studying this place for weeks. Paid top dollar on the building plans stolen by a worker." Celeste didn't see the need to hide the information from him. If their roles were reversed, she would be apprehensive too. She ignored his gesture for the lantern and hurried onward.

"Were almost at the exit." She said softly, turning through a few more narrow corridors and finally stopping in front of a door.

"I will go out first and see if it is safe." The man said stepping beside her, she backed up and held out her hand to accept. If he was so eager to get shot, be my guest. He moved the wood a few inches, sunlight began peeking through the crack of the doorway. When they heard no noise coming from beyond, he pushed it out further stepping over the foot high base of the door, and out onto the street. Celeste followed suit, juggling the lantern and her dagger as she fought to lift her skirts. The last thing she wanted to do was trip on the lip of the doorframe.

"If you had handed me the lantern, you would not be struggling." He said smugly, watching as she settled in beside him, clutching the dagger at her side. She frowned at him before observing their surroundings. "I entered through there." He pointed upward toward a window on the second floor.

Just as Celeste was about to take a step forward, the man grabbed her roughly and threw her against the wall. She brought the dagger up to his chest ready to push it through his ribcage. She hesitated when he put his hand over her mouth and shielded his body over hers, placing a finger over his mouth to signal for silence.

Her eyes caught movement from the mouth of the ally. Half a dozen British soldiers ran by shouting orders as they went. Celeste hissed at him in anger when he took his hand from her mouth. As their eyes met she saw him hesitate, his fingers lingering on her skin.

"You need to stop manhandling me or I'm going to stab you." She narrowed her eyes in anger, pushing the dagger against his chest to emphasize her words. The native frowned as he stared at her and then down at the dagger.

"I am not going to hurt you, but if you want to get out of here undetected, I need you to follow me." He backed away from her, turning towards a cellar door and quietly opened it. He gestured toward the entryway and glanced at the edge of the ally to watch for guards.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"We can continue this conversation of trust when we are out of sight!" His voice was hard and demanding, an edge of anger seeping through. Honestly, if she really thought about it any chance of escaping now was probably with him. More shouting from around the corner alarmed her to make her decision. Forcing her to grab her skirts in haste and run down the stairs into the cellar.

He shut the door quietly and descended the stairs behind her. When they reached the bottom, the large room branched out into three different directions. Grabbing his own lantern from a nearby table, he glanced in her direction and motioned with his head to follow. She carefully began to trail after him as he started down one of the corridors. So this is how he made his approach to the manor, she thought in wonder.

"How far do these tunnels go?" She asked curiously.

"They travel all throughout Boston. I have found them useful in avoiding unwanted attention."

This is amazing. She thought, as they twisted and turned down different paths in silence. They traveled that way for a while; she had so many questions so many things she wanted to ask him. All which revolved around the symbol on his bracer. Her gaze scanned the walls, watching as brick changed slowly to stone as they traveled deeper down a tunnel ending in a large cavern. Wooden beams served as support columns to the ceiling above them. Large crates were stacked up a wall to wooden planks that crossed upward towards a ledge high above them. Celeste brought the lantern over her head as she scanned the way upward.

"Careful." The man said just as she tripped on something large upon the ground. She lost her balance and stumbled, reaching forward blindly for something to prevent her fall. She was caught unaware as the hooded figure quickly gathered her against him steading her against his chest. His arms and shoulders were nothing but hard taut muscle. She could feel the warmth of him through his clothes, a dark earthy aroma coming from his skin. Then her mind wandered to her hand on his thigh before. The power she felt in his hard leg.

She pushed from him and glanced away quickly toward the floor, preventing her mind from going to dangerous places and see what she tripped on. It was a dead body.

"Friend of yours?" She said calmly, staring at the man near her feet.

"I encountered him on my way to Wales. He was a thief and a murderer. He attacked me."

"I am not judging you. I was just weighing the situation."

Celeste knelt down next to the man and glanced back up the boxes and planks by the wall. It was over twenty feet high.

"Is this the way out?"

"Yes. I will help you to reach the top." He said slowly, looking down at her, the glare of the lantern illuminating his face. He studied her in contemplation. She smiled softly and shook her head. They both knew there was no way she was going to be able to climb in this dress, and there was no way she was climbing naked. A thought suddenly struck her.

"Turn around." She said suddenly, placing her lantern and dagger upon the ground. She grabbed at the dead man's arms, struggling as she tried to move his stiff muscles to remove his jacket.

"What are you doing?"

"Just turn around."

She finished getting the man's jacket off and moved to his feet yanking his shoes off. The native man crossed his arms in front of his chest as he stared at her unmoving. She frowned when he didn't turn, his face as unhappy as hers, as he weighed her with more suspicion.

"Fine, don't trust me." Celeste sighed, she was tired of games, she wanted out of these tunnels and to be somewhere safe, and the only way to do that, was to trust the man who was now frowning at her. She stared back at him in defiance, her fingers going to the strings of her corset. Her fingers quickly worked over them; untying the laces and making her bodice gape open to reveal the tops of her breasts. If she read him right he would turn away from her again.

The man averted his eyes when she finished undoing her top and she couldn't stop a grin from forming on her mouth. She was right, he was not accustomed to a naked woman. Almost on queue the assassin turned away from her.

"I'm not going to lie; I thought you were going to watch me. Most men are beside themselves when presented with the opportunity in watching a woman undress." Celeste didn't know why she teased him. For all she knew he could turn around suddenly and lunge for her, but she wasn't too frightened. She still had her throwing knives and her own hidden blade that he was not aware of.

"Why are you?"

"Let's be honest here. We have to climb, right? We both know I'm not going to make it in this dress. So I'm taking this man's clothes."

Celeste turned her own back to him and quickly undid the fastenings of her skirt letting it drop to the floor. She felt her chest get heavy at the thought of all the dirt on her clothes, and what Vivian would say when she finally returned the outfit to her.

"Vivian's going to kill me."

"A friend of yours?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm, repeating her words from before.

"Sort of, I borrowed the dress from her. It's really expensive, or so she said while she berated me when I took it." She laughed softly and paused as she reached down to finish getting the clothes from the man on the ground.

"Can I ask what your name is?" His voice was smooth and even, a soothing sound that she honestly liked very much.

"Celeste, and yours?"

"Connor."

"Nice to meet you Connor. Although I have to say, it does feel a bit awkward making introductions when I'm naked."

"Sorry." He said, almost a little too shyly, which made her start to wonder about his age. He didn't look too young, she figured him to be around the same age as she was, just shy of twenty three. As she finished pulling the clothes off the man, Connor started to walk away from her.

"I am going to climb up ahead and make sure the boards are secure. I will come back for you."

"Ok" She said, smiling softly. "I'll be a few more moments." She gathered the rest of the man's clothes, stepping further into the shadows of the cave and watched as Connor began scaling the crates. She silently prayed that she wouldn't lose the dress as she stuffed it into a nearby crate. It was then and there she decided that she was going to make Connor come back with her to collect it when things had quieted down.

Celeste finished dressing and frowned at the stench that came from the clothes. As she adjusted her hidden blade and found places for her dagger and throwing knives, Connor's voice resonated from above her.

"Are you almost done?"

"This man smelled horrible." She said grimacing at the thought of what could be on his clothes.

"It was a good thing he was not dead long."

"Well, thank the heavens for small favors."

Celeste snorted in disgust and paused as she heard a soft chuckle emerge from Connors throat, deep and rich. She peered up at him and instantly regretted that she couldn't see his face in the shadows. The thought of wanting to see him smile was haunting her, wondering what it would be like to hear him laugh. She turned away to adjust her clothes one last time and picked up the lantern. When she emerged from the shadows and looked up at the man high above her, she gasped in surprise.

Connor must have seen the horror on her face as she looked past him. He turned quickly to see what had alarmed her and met the butt of a rifle against the side of his head. His face was thrown to the side and he stumbled for a second as he righted his footing and moved away from the ledge. He seemed a bit dazed as he pulled a small axe from his side, blocking a kick to his chest, but he was too slow, as a second man hit him in the face again with his rifle.

The weapon flew over the edge and landed heavily a few feet from where she hid. Celeste immediately turned the lantern off and hugged the darkness to prevent them from seeing her.

The assassin was too stunned to fight back as both men hit him in the face again with their guns forcing him to the ground. Connor fell onto his stomach his arm hanging over the ledge. She could see his face now, his eyes searching for her in the darkness. She thought about rushing forward, but by the time she took a step more voices emerged from above her. One of the men hit Connor one more time and she watched in dismay as his eyes closed. Please, please don't be dead. She silently prayed.

"Oy! What do we 'ave 'er? Celeste heard one of the approaching ones speak.

"A thief by the look of 'im." The one crouching above Connor spoke, grabbing his hood and roughly ripping it from his head as he kicked him onto his back. "It's an Indjun."

"Well, it's our lucky day boys. We should get top dollar for this lout." A fourth man said looking down at the man that lay at his feet.

"The axe 'e 'ad, it fell off the ledge."

The first man who spoke went to the ledge and hung his lantern out to see down below. Celeste pressed her back against the wall to prevent from being seen.

"Well, what you shite's wai'in for. Go get it."

The two men crouching over Connor exchanged looks. The second one, who hadn't spoken yet, finally got up and went to the ledge to look down.

"Bugger that. You want it so badly, you get your ass down there and get it."

The man holding the lantern continued looking down, examining the planks and boxes. After a moment he spit onto the floor and sucked his teeth.

"Fuck it. We'll git a pretty penny fo'er the savage alone."

They all snickered to themselves while they picked Connor up by his arms and dragged him out of sight. When the sound of footsteps became faint, Celeste moved forward and picked up the axe that fell near her. When she held it in her hands and examined it, she realized that it was a small tomahawk. The wood of the handle was smooth and well sanded like it had seen years of handling. Around the base was a thin band of weaved rope, a diamond design that circled the upper handle. Two feathers hung down from a small piece of leather that tied everything together. It was actually a beautiful piece and she was certain Conner would want it back.

Celeste stood and weighed her options. Should she run back the other way, forget about him and everything that took place, or should she go after him? The only other person besides her mentor, all those years ago, to have the symbol of the Creed etched onto his clothing. A smart girl would have left and saved her own skin, but Celeste had known from the moment their eyes first met, her life was forever about to change. As she took a deep breath to steady her racing heart, a calm resolve spread over her as she made her choice. Tucking the handle of the tomahawk into her belt, she started her ascent to the ledge above her. Following the sound of fading footsteps.

Authors note: I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1. I had a blast writing it! Please leave me feedback so I can know if my writing is on the right track.

I would also like to thank my editor and beta reader Kittyn195, any mistakes made, missed or I did not fix, is my mistake and not hers.

Thanks and see you guys for Chapter 2 I hope!