Sequence 1

Masayaf

The woman shivered as she sat in the cell, amber eyes staring out at the window. The light coming through was so bright she couldn't see outside.

"Ezio, forgive me." She muttered softly.

She had found out about their father's letter. And this had been a chance to prove herself as capable. A true assassin. No matter how much Ezio insisted she was, Claudia did not feel like he believed that. Volpe had helped her convince him to stay. The thief was old. So it wasn't hard for him to tell Ezio he wanted to keep him around in case the end came. Volpe understood Claudia's desire to step out from the shadows.

Strangely, Machiavelli had as well. He had been the one to organise the boat to get her this far. He had given her lessons on disguising herself as a man to be able to sail.

Her head thudded against the wall as she leaned back.

"The world will not suffer if my story ends too soon." She told herself in an effort to gain courage. "Niente è vero, tutto è permesso."

She stumbled as the guards pushed her roughly up the last few steps of a tower. Her stomach was tight with hunger, her wrists raw with the rope around them.

"Claudia Auditore. Sister to the Master Assassin of Italy." A bald man said and Claudia turned to look at him. Her eyes narrowed.

"And who might I be addressing?" She asked, pulling herself up to her full height. With a small grin, she realised that she reached the height of some of the guards. Perks of a tall family.

"You're executioner."

"Oh, very ominous. Are we on good enough terms for me to call you Your? Or should I refer to you as Messer Executioner?" She had to hand it to him, his Italian was good. She could understand him despite his accent. From the lack of chuckles from the guards, she guessed that they did not understand her language and thus missed out on her brilliant sarcasm.

Sadly, the bald man did not appreciate her humour either but instead gestured to the guards behind her. They pushed her onto a scaffold, one of many around the tower. Claudia bit her lip as they slipped a noose around her throat but remained calm.

"Your brother will come looking for you. And he shall suffer the same fate." The man whispered in her ear as she stared out at the beautiful scenery. It would be a good place to die.

"Oh, I doubt he cares that much." Claudia muttered. She wiggled her bound hands, the ropes were starting to come loose. She smiled to herself, listening to her target step away.

"Alqifz!" A man ordered. She waited.

Footsteps as someone moved closer. Fabric rustle…

Claudia turned, the rope falling from her hands as she grabbed at the polearm that was about to poke her in the back. She jerked it suddenly from the guard's arms and it slipped from his grasp in his surprise. She flicked it round in one fluid movement before pushing it into his gut. A tug on the rope warned her that they were about to pull her in closer and she arced the weapon so it swung up and down onto the noose, embedding it into the ground. The rope fell limply from either side.

"I love this axe-spear thing. Think I can get another?" She asked, realising that she didn't really have the muscle strength to pull it back out from the ground. Unfortunately, it seemed that the guards still hadn't learnt Italian.

"Fine, I'll borrow one." She muttered, rushing back onto the solid ground of the tower, rolling to pick up the rope and moving it so a guard trying to grab her tripped. She jumped onto him, drew his knife from his sheath and plunged it into his throat before rolling to the side and getting to her feet, knife in hand. No one looked impressed.

"Bet Ezio would get a better reception." She muttered. "At least one person running in terror. Is that too much to ask?"

By this point, she was in a dangerous dance, trying to avoid being stabbed by the weapons shoved her way. But she did get another polearm which was fun.

One cut here, another there… The men seemed to come out of nowhere. Claudia felt sweat start trickling down her neck and round the rope still tied there. The mountain breeze was bringing snow that hadn't been there when the fight had started. Glancing around, the assassin could see only her pressing foes.

"Cazzo." She muttered. This was not something she could take on. She had lost last time and they would be wiser if they caught her again. She'd make use of the weather.

With some force, she flung the weapon at the guards in a horizontal spin and ran towards the edge, slipping into a slide so she could grab the edge of the tower and turn it into a more controlled fall as the snow obscured her from their sight.

Grey walls slid past her faster and faster as she searched for a hand grip then thud. Wood. Claudia let out another curse as pain flared up in her legs. Perhaps it would have been better to risk this before the sudden storm. She shuddered as a gust chilled her and froze her sweat. Then she saw a figure in the snow.

Or had it just been the snow? As soon as she had focused, it was gone. Heading onto a beam.

Casting a glance around her, Claudia followed. It was the only way out.

The scaffolding here hugged the tower, climbing up it gently, although the leaps in the gale where perilous. Better than staying on that ledge. She needed to get inside or she'd likely die. But inside was just as dangerous.

Ezio would never get into such a stupid situation, she thought as she snuck past a guard and started climbing again. The strange figure was above her. She could see flashes of a red belt.

"Who are you…" She muttered, trying to catch up with the man who kept disappearing into the storm.

Finally getting to more solid ground, she looked left and right but she'd lost whoever she'd been following. Taking the left, she reached a building. Her hidden blades!

Claudia quickly pulled them both on, activating the weapons and staring with a level of pride at the blades.

"You will be safe, Claudia." Ezio said, looking into her eyes.

"Of course. I'm not the one who's nearly died… how many times is it now?"

"I'm not counting."

Claudia had laughed at this but gave her brother a firm hug. It took him a second but then his warm, strong arms engulfed her and his head rested on hers.

"I will miss you, sorellina."

"I will miss you too. But you will look after the Brotherhood like a good maestro. And my children, like a good zio."

"It should be me." Ezio muttered.

"Tough." Claudia told him, pulling away to look into his deep amber eyes.

"Here," Ezio said, removing one of his hidden blades and fastening it onto her wrist. "To go with your own. And to kill Templars for me. I doubt I shall need two while Italy is in peace."

She sheathed both blades and hurriedly put the sword into its scabbard. Now feeling properly armed, she set off into the cold. The figure was back. She had seen a hood covering a dark face. Putting on speed, she chased after this phantom – for that's what she was beginning to expect of the figure. Nearly transparent, disappearing in and out of the snow. And putting her in mind of that statue of Altair that Ezio used to drool after.

Following the figure was harder work than she expected. A few guards weathered the storm. And battling the elements made some of the climbs incredibly dangerous. She had to wait for lulls in the wind before making some attempts at jumping or climbing.

Finally, the figure stopped running as he reached the top of a different tower. Claudia followed him as he walked to the edge and then flickered away in the storm. Peering over the edge, she saw nothing but the storm. There was a stone eagle here though. The figure had seemed to walk through it. Moving behind the stonework, Claudia pushed until it started to creak and then move. Straining her already aching muscles, she managed to push the statue off the edge.

CRACK!

Apparently there was ground below.

SPLASH!

And water.

Taking a deep breath, Claudia prepared herself.

"Idiota." She muttered and then started to run, flinging herself into the air as she had a hundred times before. She flipped mid-air and turned it into a dive, adrenaline pumping through her blood. The ground grew closer and there was the hole, directly below her. And water.

It was… warm. Kept underground and insulated from the cold storm. Which was rather a shock to her. And it was so tempting to stay in the warmth. But she had to get out. Claudia steeled her will and started to swim towards the edge. Which was further away than she thought. And round a corner. When she got there, she could see a guard, oblivious to the fact that a roof had caved in.

Unless that was a common occurrence, she thought with some concern.

Pulling herself out of the water, she drew her sword and met the weapon that came to cleave her. The fight was short and brief. He was no match for an assassin. With no one else attacking, she spared the time to close his eyes.

Shaking like a dog, Claudia moved to the warmth of the fire. Guards… hidden underground corridors. Could this be the treasure that she sought? The one mentioned by her father. The library… On usually silent (but now damp) feet she moved onwards, wincing every time her foot falls squelched.

Coming to the end of the corridor, she saw four guards and a civilian. Three guards seemed to be digging, the other was keeping check on the civilian, making sure he worked at the golden door. She looked between them, planning.

Then she leapt. She got the first guard almost silently and was back into the shadows in a second, hidden behind a column. No one else had noticed. Good. Quickly she disposed of the three remaining guards without alerting any of them. Apart from when they died. She imagined they noticed that somewhat.

"Be merciful! Please! I am a working man!" The civilian cried in Turkish, falling to clutch her knees. Claudia looked down at him, grateful that he spoke this language which she had learnt for coming here.

"I'm not going to hurt you." She promised, offering him a hand but instead he shied away. She gave a small sigh and moved back a step, crouching to be on level with him.

"What have they got you doing?" She asked gently.

"Digging, mostly. It took me a year to find this chamber. And for the past three months I have been trying to break through this door."

"Three months…" She muttered softly, rising and putting a hand against the cold stone. "And yet not a dent."

"The stone is harder than steel." The man said, slowly getting to his feet.

"It has quiet some treasure in it." Claudia said, tracing the patterns. They were like constellations, she thought.

"Gold." The man said, his voice rising in excitement. Claudia shook her head.

"Precious gems?"

She gave a small laugh at this. Sometimes she forgot that some people were so focused on such trivial things.

"There are keyholes." She said softly, her fingers brushing over the gaps. She turned to look at the man. "Do you have any?"

"These Templars found one underneath the Ottoman Sultan's Palace. As for the others, I suppose their little book will tell them."

"A book?" She asked. He nodded

"A journal of some kind. The ugly Captain carries it with him wherever he goes."

That must be bald guy. Well, she would really have to kill him now. She rolled her shoulders, trying to remove the damp from them. She could really do with a hot bath. Warm clothes…

"Get out of here. Return to your family and live an honest life." Claudia suggested, putting a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Oh, I couldn't do that. They'll kill me!" The man said.

"I think you might find otherwise." Claudia suggested with a small smile.

The man deliberated but finally decided that Claudia was a safer bet to go with and ran off. She smiled and followed, coming out into a courtyard.

The blizzard was still going on.

"The assassin must not get her hands on that book. When we reach Leandros, we will escort him out of the village. You stay behind and make sure we're not followed!"

Claudia could just make out the shouting voices as she edged towards the gate. Unfortunately, the sound seemed to be coming from there. She heard a clunking sound and the gate fell. Trust her luck. Looking up, she saw a rampart with stairs leading to it. She hurried up, using the blizzard as a shield as four guards passed beneath her. She paused by the top and watched as another group patrolled in a circle. She slipped behind them and then as soon as they turned, climbed swiftly to the top, free from wetting her blade.

The view from here was not as good as from the tower. But she took a moment to appreciate it. She saw a group of men hurrying away. One seemed to have a shiny head. Her man.

Claudia jumped.

Pulled the parachute.

Thankfully it was still there.

The wind caught on the fabric and she was lifted up somewhat. How Ezio adored these things, she could not tell. They were flighty and jumpy. Took a lot of effort for her to control as she moved after the group.

Landing as soon as possible, she dashed after them, keeping to the ground and hiding behind buildings. They were on their guard. Claudia bit her lip. They knew she had survived. She cast a glance around. Civilians lived in this village. Some shops… Language… so far she had heard Turkish and another language, maybe Arabic, spoken.

Claudia took a short cut, heading over buildings and jumping down below, keeping an eye on the bald man. Empty house… empty house… got one. She picked the lock and hurried inside.

Speedily she pulled a small kit out of her bag. Powders and a brush. She grinned. Ezio had never learnt these skills.

She kept glancing out the window, making sure he didn't come past. Still ahead. Good.

Claudia let down her hair and hurriedly examined the closet, her face now completely different. She looked like a much younger woman. She undid her dress and removed the shirt. It was high collared and too obvious. Putting her dress back on, she regretfully left the shirt as she hurried to find another dress to go over. The clothing she found actually sat on her rather well, despite the fact that she was skinny (Ezio did try to tell her otherwise to cheer her up) and she put it towards a lack of good food here.

The man passed the window. Claudia looked down at her belt. Made the hips look wider but slightly strangely shaped. With a grin, she used her shirt to fix that and then headed out into the snow.

She was just behind them now. And they didn't recognise her. She smiled and pulled her sleeves down to hide the hidden blades. She examined him. Could he be carrying a book? She could see no sign of it, despite what she had been told. His clothing was tight. He carried no bag that would fit it. She looked at all the guards. She couldn't take him right now.

Pulling down the front of her dress slightly, Claudia stumbled forwards, hitting the guards and managing to fall on top of him.

"Üzgünüm. Babam hep beceremediğimi söylerdi. Ruhu huzur içinde yatsın."* She said, as she pulled herself up. He had the book. There was a sack under his cloak.

He looked ready to explode but when he saw her, he didn't shout.

"Idiot. You should repay me for what you've done." He growled.

"But… sir… I don't have any money. With my father gone… well, it's all I can do to keep my mother alive." She said, looking down but sneaking a peak through her eyelashes. Men were so predictable.

"I can think of another way." The bald man said. Leandros, was it? He placed a hand on her chest and slowly traced down. "And maybe a bit more."

She gave a small nod.

"Good." He grabbed her arm and started dragging her.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"I have a carriage. I need to get somewhere." She noticed he glanced over his shoulder as he spoke.

"But… How will I get home?" She asked.

"I'll tell the guard to send you back." He muttered. And then he was putting her in the carriage. He gave the guard a quick order. Only disturb him if that assassin came after him. As soon as they got to the village, to turn around and bring his guest back.

Claudia looked around quickly. Seats. Not particularly comfortable. That was the only thing here. The door opened. As soon as he was in and the door closed, the carriage started off. She gave a small squeak of surprise as if she had never been in one of these before.

"Don't be alarmed." The bald man said, looking at her. "It's quiet safe."

"I've… never ridden a horse. Let alone a carriage." She said, putting wonder into her voice, looking around.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him loosen his cape. Take the sack off. His hand moved and took her leg, starting to push back the dress.

"What's this…" He muttered, seeing the leggings. His eyes widened.

Claudia sighed. She had hoped to have a chance to ask more questions. Blade snickered out and into his throat before he had the chance to so much cry 'Assassin!'. She leaned forwards, curious to catch his last words.

"Bitch!" he called her and she rolled her eyes.

"Like I don't here that often." She told him. "Why were you so interested in this book I've heard?"

"Niccolo Polo's book. Ha. What good will it do you? We've already got one key. The rest… we close in on." He was fading. His mouth filling with blood.

"Why do you seek Altair's library?" Claudia asked softly.

"Pah, you can have Altair's books. We only want directions to the grand temple…"

The light left his eyes and Claudia closed them. "Requiestcat in pace." She muttered before leaning back in her seat. Well, this was a development.

A/N

*I'm sorry. My father always said I was clumsy. May his soul rest in peace.

A note on Claudia's inner thoughts about her skinniness. For those days, she was probably on the slight side when the ideals would be to be weightier which showed your wealth. So I imagine she'd have been a bit upset about it as a younger woman at least. 'Ezio! What if he doesn't like me. I'm so skinny you'd think I was a peasant.'

I hope you've enjoyed this. Soon Claudia will get to Istanbul and have some fun there. This fic shouldn't run too similar to the games as Claudia will have her own approach to things but she still will have to solve the same sorts of problems that Ezio had.

If you've enjoyed this story, comment or fav it. Feed the hungry author.

Until next time!