When I was born, I came forth covered in blood. I was confused and startled at my body requiring air to be pulled forth into my lungs. I screamed loudly. My stomach aching to be filled with nourishment. My Mother was a mere nineteen years old when she bore me. Before me, were my two brothers, Aquil and Imad. She was fifteen when she had Imad, and then sixteen when she bore Aquil.
I was a small babe resting my cheek upon her back where she kept me when she first saw the Assassins at work. She had heard of what they did, but never had seen what they did since she was moved to Masyaf for marriage.
It was a young teen that was fleeing from the fortress on top of the hill. Grey robes billowing behind him, and white blurs surrounding him. He was killed when he tried to lunge at my Mother. Her Husband shushed her when she came home, comforting her with his own nine fingers.
I had let out a healthy cry of protest in the market earlier that day when the teen had been running from his mentors he so desperately wanted to leave. I was given strange looks when my cry burst through the market. A few mistook me as a son and praised her on bearing a strong male for her Husband.
I was very young when I had to make my first run to the Assassins fortress. I was carrying a letter to my Father from my Mother. My Mother did not have the strength to get to the fortress, and honestly, she was scared of going there. I was unafraid and young. My brothers lived there, and I liked seeing them. They would try and sneak from their duties when they saw my brown hair emerge through the cloaks of white. This was the very first time I saw the Grand Master. He looked like a messiah, delivering his words through assassinations.
He was named Altair they said.
He was strong they said.
He was wise they said.
And I was in awe of him, I wanted to follow him around and observe his every move. He was the reason that my Father was allowed to be officially married to my Mother. He was the reason the Assassins were stronger.
He was the reason I had hope.
When I had my first bleedings, my Mother gave me cotton and a Hijab. I didn't understand it at all, why wouldn't I be like my Brothers? Running horses and learning the ways of swords. I was confused; I wanted to be like my Brothers, and my Father. I wanted to run around in white and grey robes, giving up my ring finger and changing the world around me with killing. Yet I was so confused, why did I have to wear a Hijab? Why can't I ride horses and give up my ring finger? My Mother stared at me weirdly for a moment when I told her that. Shaking her head, her lips in a thin line, with the hint of red coating her cheeks in slight anger; she said.
"Because you are woman and woman marry and bear children."
I had run to my Father than and asked him why I could not become like him and my Brothers. He tilted his head, confusion dotting his features, and slight sadness.
"You are woman, and women do not do men's work."
Fear began to grasp me, was I doomed for women's work? I couldn't ask my Brothers, they were off on missions. So I did what I thought best. I sneaked into the fortress under the excuse I was to deliver a letter to my Father, who I skittered far past while he was teaching one of his apprentices in the bruise arena. I called it Bruise arena ever since I was young, since my Father always came back covered in them.
But to disregard that, I sneaked into the fortress. I was of course; cast a blind eye from being around so often. I had reached the Grand Masters study, peeking in to find him… Altair, speaking quietly to a young boy who looked about my age, He turned to me very quickly, his hands holding tightly to a bow that was ready to snap at the mere thought of adding pressure to it.
I had seen him before, he was the Grand Masters son, and his name was unknown to me. His face was red, and he stormed off after he saw me peeking from the edge of a book shelf.
Father always said that the Grand Masters sons acted arrogant at first when they started training, until he said that the Grand Master talked to them very sternly in public.
When the Grandmaster motioned me forward, I stayed where I was. His brow raised, and his eyes scanned me. His facial features open to me for his hood was down.
I broke the silence that seemed to have lasted for hours.
"They say you are wise."
This caused a strange look on his face. His brows crinkling at my lean and awkward body that was hidden half behind the book shelf.
"They say that." His words were low and slow, thought out, and they sounded dangerous.
My courage appeared suddenly, and I walked up closer to him.
"I feel as if my path is being threatened."
This caused slight panic in his eyes, and when I was older, I realized he was concerned for me. Why would a girl this young believe her path of life was being threatened? She had so much to live for!
"How old are you child?"
I raised my chin high. "Twelve."
His gaze became soft, and he kneeled before me.
"You are Hanan's daughter."
I nodded in acknowledgment.
"And what ails you to feel that your path of life is being threatened?"
I grew quiet then, and looked around, I had never heard of the Grand Master kneeling before someone, kneeling to help sort out my problems.
"I am a woman." I paused, licking at my chapped lips, my hands adjusting the weird thing called a Hijab upon my head. "And I have learned recently that I have been given no choice in my path. I ask my Mother why I cannot be like Imad and Aquil, riding horseback and learning to fight when they were my age. She frowned at me and told me I was to bear children for the man I married. I went to my Father and asked him, he told me I cannot to men's work."
When I looked up at him, from staring at my feet the entire time. He looked surprised, amazed even.
"You wish to become one of us?"
I nodded energetically, my lips breaking out in a smile. But his did not; he was still dumbstruck at the idea of me wanting to be an Assassin.
'I am sorry, but I cannot allow you to be an Assassin. We only accept men.' He could have said that to me then, he could have downright told me no, but he didn't, for he had changed from that arrogant boy who became a novice again.
"I believe you should meet my Wife.
No.. he was a Man.
Deep within the fortress, I was led to a chamber that represented that of an Assassins bureau resting area. It was overfilled with pillows or rich and lavish colors and stitching's, a fountain was on the wall, and light cascaded through the top of a grate above. A woman was there, and she was obviously not of here. Her skin resembled that of a European, and I immediately thought of Templar, Father told me if I thought someone was a Templar, I was to run.
I crashed backwards into the Grand Master, his chuckle going through the air.
"She will cause no harm, she is with the Assassins."
It was still a cautious emergence into the room. Although the Grand Master merely swooped into the room to the woman who I supposed was his wife, and tenderly touched her cheek with his hand. She had been writing something when we had entered, and she looked somewhat annoyed right now. Until she looked upon me.
"Who is she?"
"She is the daughter of Hanan Salib, and she wishes to become an Assassin."
Her breath caught and she looked at me. "Leave us Altair; I will take her under my wing."
He left through the door, the light bouncing off him as he left.
Maria was kind to me, when I would mess with my Hijab, trying to get it right, she would throw it off me and hand me European clothes she wore. They made me feel comfortable and alive, as if I was not Women! But a Man inside of a Women's body!
"Now tell me, why do you wish to become an Assassin?"
I was leaned against pillows, basking in her European clothes, the pants rolled up to keep off the heat, while the shirt billowed around my waist from being too loose.
"I don't want to be like women, and stay home and bear children." I whispered, my hands behind my head as I stared at the grated ceiling, causing the light to be separated by millions of dark spots.
"I want to be strong, I want to be the savior of my people. Sure, I could be a savior to a family line, but why? Why not prevent that family line being cut down with my will and strength? I could prevent women marrying solely for money or helping a line emerge from being the last in their family… It honorable to do both, but with the skills of an Assassin, I can be honorable in causing no grief towards the line that might die out."
"But what of the grief you cause the other families?"
This caused me to pause.
"What if they only killed that family for they had tried to eliminate the very thing you are trying to protect?"
"I would hear the entire story then."
"Ah… but sometimes a story is lost in the ages, and a rivalry will only stop when one is dead, or they kill themselves with hate. But if you stepped in, what changes, how will stop or start something" Her banter caused me to grow dumbfounded, and she smiled at me for a moment. "Assassins work in the dark to serve the light, and they make many a wrong choices. But in the end, there will always be a sad and happy ending."
"And there is never just one."
My head jerked to the side when a body walked into my view, it headed toward Maria and she spared it a glance before looking at the grated ceiling again.
"What are you doing here Darim?" Her tone was not that she spoke when she was with me or the women who brought us food. It was calm and easing. It sounded what most people would think of as motherly. I did not know the voice of a mother, I only knew scolding and scared worry that I would not survive to bear children.
"The Master is curious to why it is taking so long for this training you are doing; he is wondering why he has not seen you outside for several weeks now." His tone was calm and steady, and his hands fiddled with the sides of his cloak. A bow was rested on his back also.
Maria sighed, and shifted her body, looking up at the boy.
"He should not wonder, for he sees me every day, and asks the same things. Do not be a pesk Darim; it is obvious you are curious. And call him your Father you daft child."
I was surprised, so Darim was Maria and Altairs son.
Darims face lowered, to where nothing showed upon his face. I found myself tilting my body and head to try and see under his hooded head. I caught red tints on his tanned cheeks. My lips curling up into a smile when I saw that. He merely grew flustered at my gaze and scrambled out of the room with a hasty.
"Good day Mother!"
That was the day that Maria smiled at me with a great smirk. Although I was confused to as of why.
When I was fourteen, I learned of arranged marriages.
I was sitting on the ground working on drawing in the and in front of our house at the edge of town. My Hijab lying beside me.
One moment I was drawing in peace, thinking of Maria and her European ways. Then I being pulled to my feet by my Mother, her hands patting me down the dust that gathered upon me sitting down on the ground. She growled loudly to find my brown hair splayed around my shoulders.
"Where is your Hijab?! Put it on! Put it on!"
She spotted it and threw it upon my head. Her hands hastily pinning it around like an older woman would put on a Hijab.
"There's a man in the house, hurry, go into the house!"
I was highly confused, and just went along with it. My Brothers were men, and so was Father, why would Mother care if a man was in our house? Mother was leaning over my ear when we came to the back door.
"Just walk around, don't talk if you're not spoken to. Just position yourself around the house! Yes that will do!"
I was pushed through the door, and I was alone in the darkened house. The Hijab was bothering me, and I felt like scratching at my head. When I wore the Hijab, I could not feel the breath of the earth in my hair, I could not feel the sun glinting it rays upon my cheeks with a smile. The only reason I would think I could feel the fruits that Allah has given us is by becoming a woman in a harem, constantly bathing around in the sun with the other women and our children.
But that life was not for me, but it might as well have been.
I tore off the Hijab, securing it on my waist and walked into the entryway where we had our table and pillows. Father was sitting there smoking on the Hookah with a strange older man. He had lavish clothes spun upon him, and he was mighty skinny for a man his age. He looked sick with his pale cheeks that had no color. I could see his cheekbones!
But when Father turned towards me, his cheeks grew red in anger. While the man looked at me with haunting eyes, and he looked to grow ever paler.
"You never told me you had a daughter Hanan. She is quite beautiful."
I had frozen up then, staring wide eyed at them both, the sick man fascinated with me, and Father steaming with anger.
"She would be a beautiful addition to my Harem. Her brown hair is quite a change from the ebony hair around…."
I ran.
I hid in the town, in a box that held nothing but old goat droppings. I stayed there all night; for I knew that when I returned home, I would be beaten. Soon, my stomach began rumbling and hissing at me to crawl forth, and that was my doom.
I was grabbed by a leg, causing my body to collapse and be dragged forth. My other leg kicking out towards a robed hand that was holding me in a bruising grip, my wail cried out in the air, and soon I was surrounded by three white cloaked men. Two stood idly by. Oh but I knew the stance of the third one. I scrambled away on my bum, my legs tripping over my skirt, my brown hair billowing around me. I was too young and slow though. My upper arm was held in a tight grip, and I was soon being dragged away to our home. The two others flying away like eagles gliding across air currents.
It was not even an hour later that I snuck away from my house through a window in panic, my heart beating fast as I made hurried silent footsteps up the road to the fortress. I was quivering mess, snot running from my nose with my tears falling quietly.
And a Hijab upon my head.
I was stopped at the front gate.
"State your business."
My eyes were lowered to the ground, my face hidden by the shadows like a true assassin.
"I need to see the Grand Masters wife."
"I cannot allow that."
Usually, I would yell out in fury right now, for them not allowing me to see the woman I so desperately needed.
"I need to see the Grand Masters wife." My teeth chattered, and I heard an exasperated sigh.
"No."
"Bring me to the Grand Master than!"
My fury bubbled over, my teeth clenching and I stared at the young Assassin. His robes a dirty gray of a novice. His eyes drew a guarded expression, and he let out a low whistle. Another Novice dropping from the side of the building and walking to the inside of the fortress.
My body felt strange as I walked up the stairs to the great Altairs study. A yellow glow had peeked into my vision, along with the sound of shimmering glass. But it quickly disappeared like a wanderer with the wind.
"Leave us."
Those were the words spoken when I appeared in his vision. I was quietly staring at the floor, my face still hidden under the darkness of night, only the faint light caught a part of my chin and jaw.
"What is it you want young child?"
I took a rattling breath. "I need to see Maria."
I was quickly advanced upon, and my cheek was taken ahold of. My numbness wearing off as pain hit me by the purple accent dotting my jaw. I quickly pulled away from his loose grip, adjusting my Hijab to where I was hidden in shadows again.
It was not long that the Grand master left me; he came back with silent steps that were followed by quick ones. I was pushed into the breasts of Maria. Her body guiding me below the depths of the Masyaf Fortress. I was pushed into the baths, and I could hear Maria's clothes hit the floor as she locked the door behind us. I was nestled into a corner of the steaming room, huddled into myself.
"Let me look."
Her tone was tense and stern, and I flinched. My lips parted, but I refused to answer.
"Let me look."
Her tone was softened, and I could hear the way she had spoken to Darim come through in her voice. I allowed myself to turn my jaw up. Purple designs fluttering across my jaw, and a thin straight scratch went straight through my left eyebrow, leaving a puckered wound, along with a faint trail of blood running out of my mouth.
"There was a man in the house…" I spoke quietly as the woman I had come to love as my own Mother undressed me, first throwing my Hijab upon the ground and spitting on it.
"He was sick, but he spoke of harems and adding me… I just… I ran."
Tears began to flow, and Maria touched my shoulder; a flinch was pulled from me and I tried to get away from her. She quickly pulled me forth again and set me into the water, and grabbing a cloth an wiping my tears away as I sobbed.
"I hid from him and made it worse." I sobbed quietly into Marias shoulders.
"And how long did you hide Hakim?"
"Since the morning that the man came to our house."
It was silent for a moment, and all that could be heard in the pillow room was my sobs. Then a sharp breath being pulled in.
"That it very good Hakim, very good, Like a true Assassin!"
A sense of hope fluttered into my heart then, my eyes brightening.
"Truly Maria?"
"Truly."
I was Fifteen when I finally realized I could control nothing.
A part of me died that day.
And a part of me was born that day also.
Hijab (Veil for woman)
Imad is four years older than Hakim
Aquil is three years older.
Aquil Salib Was born 1190 (Brother)
Hanan Salib (Father)
Imad Salib Was born 1191 (Brother)
Hakim Salib Was born 1194 making her a year older than Darim.
So more stories! I've just got so many ideas and so much time! SO I started an Assassins Creed fic like an idiot, And on one of the games I barely paid attention too… hehehe…. I'm such an idiot.
I've always thought Maria was badass though…
But thanks for reading! I'm trying to make this realistic, and better than some of the stuff that's out there. Like Black haired beauties who are gypsies and are named Esmeralda…. Nothing wrong through if you have a character like that… nothing wrong at allllllll…..
Again! Thanks for reading! I'm gonna go read fanfic now! And sleep afterwards!