Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed, Sadly, But if I did...the game wouldn't get very far XD
Small flecks of white slowly floated down from the sky, landing on the once hot sand of the Holy Land. A lone man slowly rode his horse, staring up at the sky in wonderment as a flake fell on his nose, instantly melting. He shivered slightly at the odd cold and watched transfixed as his breath came out in small puffs of mist.
It felt magical, almost like he shouldn't be here to witness it. Even the guards, which he soughtly fought everyday and night seemed to be calm. The strange white falling from the sky seeming to have an international calming effect.
Gingerly, Altair held out his hand watching as the snow fell into his open palm and stayed on the cool leather of his glove. Curiosity peeking his interest, he brought his hand closer, almost gasping in shock as he got a closer look at the foreign object in his hand.
It looked like a crystal, a ball in the middle and then stems like a tree branching off in all different direction, all connected. Another one fell and he realised with an ever growing amazment that they looked entirely different. Brushing his hand off on his horses mane he squinted his eyes to look into the distance, the white walls of Jerusalum standing out in the expanse of little green and sand.
With a cluck of his tongue and a sharp kik to his horses sides, he sped off, hopefully wondering if the same matter that fell down from the sky would still be there by the time he got there.
It was his lucky day, Altair realised, as for the frozen rain still fell softly. He hopped off his horse and stared down in bewilderment as his feet made a slight crunching soun as if he stepped in glass. He lifted his boot and looked as the bottom was encrusted in white then looked to the ground to see that the frozen rain was not melting like it did on his hand and nose.
"How...strange," Altair mumbled and quickly blending in with some scholars as he snuck his way into the city walls. He instanly climbed up a building and ran towards the bureau, only slightly miffed when he saw Malik standing on the roof, a small smile on his face as he used his one hand to make his robes tighter and somewhat warmer. Altair landing gracefully on the roof and Malik glanced over his shoulder at him. "Safety and Peace Malik..."
"To you as well," Altair almost reeled back in shock, almost, did this strange crystal calm Malik as well? Malik chuckled noticing Altair's astonishment and looked back towards the sky, "Beautiful, isn't it?" Altair walked towards his friend and curtly nodded.
"Indeed..." He then shuffled his feet and stared at Malik, "But...what is this white thing?" It was then that Malik looked at him with a smug smirk and Altair had to bite his tongue or else he would snap at the one armed dai.
"You don't know snow? You should start studying other things in life that are more enchanting than how to kill people," Malik taunted and Altair felt his face flush in embarasment, luckily, his hood hid that. Well, at least he hoped it did.
"I do," Altair snapped and crossed his arms, breathing out a sigh. Malik looked at him with disbelieving eyes before shaking his head and laughing slightly.
"Other then women and the Templars?" Malik asked and Altair felt his face flush even more and he coughed to cover it up.
"...I have no idea of what you're talking about..." He mumbled and Malik laughed again before looking towards the sky once more.
"Snow...is frozen rain. When it reaches the days where the moon is more dominant, as the earth turns colder, snow is made. It is quite an often experiance in other lands," Malik explained and Altair nodded before Malik added, "For instance, France."
"France? Where Robert and his men reside? I find that hard to believe," Altair muttered and Malik raised and eyebrow.
"Could I be bold as to ask why you find it so hard to believe?" Malik asked and Altair shrugged, holding out his hand again and watching as the snow fell softly into his palm.
"This snow, as you call it," Altair paused, trying to find the right words. Malik, who knew Altair for a long time now, understood Altair's trouble of expressing anything that didn't have a blade related to it and waited patiently. Altair pursed his lips and shrugged again, "I'm not sure, but it seems to have some sort of calming sensation. I was able to reach the city with out even raising my blade once..."
"You mean like magic?" Altair slowly nodded.
"Yes...or some type of sorcery," He then looked at Malik with a questioning gaze, "Can you feel it as well?" Malik smiled and nodded looking at Altair again.
"Yes, but I don't believe it's magic..."
"What else could it be?" Malik paused and thought before opening his mouth to speak again.
"It's a rare occurance that snow falls in Jerusalum, or the Holy Land for that matter, this calmness you speak of," Malik sighed and watched as his breath slowly disapeared in the air, "It could be the after glow of hope. People are filled with a sense that this is a sign, hope for things to become better. White is a pure colour after all, easily tainted. Yet here it is, falling all around us, it's quite hopeful, don't you think?" Altair thought before letting himself relax, tilting his head up and closing his eyes so he could feel the snow fall on his face. He was only mildly aware that his hood fell.
Malik took Altair's silence as a positive answer and let himself relax under the light snow fall, he watched amused out of the corner of his eye as Altair shivered lightly. Altair rubbed his arms and stared into the bureau.
"Maybe...we should go back inside, you must have many things to do," Altair mumbled and Malik smiled, both knowing fully well that Altair was just to stubborn and prideful to say he was cold.
"Indeed."
This is actually based off of a picture at Deviantart byt good old Doubleleaf, the link isn't working but the picture is called "First Snow".