My fingers were slippery. Gloves, I thought. God dammit I need gloves. They perched on the window sill of the building, clinging there for dear life. My leather-soled shoes were desperately trying to get a grip on the side of the old church so I could haul myself upwards. A steady stream of curses continued under my breath, as the metallic footsteps of soldiers advanced. Civilians shouted and screaming, pointing at me as if I was the first person they'd ever seen climbing Roman structures.

My teeth were gritted as I reached for a better grip. My heart beat pounded in my ears as the summer heat of Italy took its toll. I wondered how the hell my predecessors were able to survive in such conditions, especially with the thick cloak and heavy armor.

"Hey!" A guard shouted, pointing his crossbow at me. I gave him a side-long glance, following the simple order that commanded me to keep my mouth shut. "Get down from there!"

I pretended to ignore him, hoping that he wouldn't shoot. I climbed right past him. At one point, I was so close I heard him breathe. He smelled of alcohol.

"Assassin!" He yelled, alerting even more guards.

So much for stealth, I thought. How much of this damn clock tower do I have left to climb?I refused to look up. I'd grown to learn that the best technique for climbing was to keep your eyes in front of you, so the sun wouldn't blind you with deadly rays.

Something hit my back. It was hard, and it hurt. A rock, I growled. Who gave the guards god damn rocks? A flurry of rocks pelted against my back. They rattled my armor and bruised my skin. It was terrifyingly difficult to concentrate on moving upwards in all the commotion. I had a habit of stressing out over those types of things. I suppose that's why Uncle always found it difficult to teach me. I was so unlike him. I wasn't a quick-thinker, like he was. I was calculating, always using strategy. I wasn't warm and friendly. I was sarcastic, a smart-ass who coated all her words in a thick layer of curse words.

I was the black sheep of the family, really.

Amidst all this thinking, some idiotic asshole managed to land a particularly sharp rock on the top of my head. I gasped, flinching for just a second.

"Shit." I managed to say, before plunging down, to the very bottom of the clock tower, where I would undoubtedly have to start again, from the very beginning.