Diaclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed.
It was 1816.
A slow drizzle sheeted New York City as thunder rolled in the distance. A young boy studied under the cover of the patio roof, listening silently to the patter of the raindrops. His eyes skimmed the pages in front of him, stopping every so often to sound out a word new to him. After scribbling some letters in his book, he sighed, leaned back into his chair, and observed his surroundings. The cobblestone path originating from the porch stairs lead into a lush garden with scattered apple trees and berry bushes. In the distance, he could see the bustling city and lightly hear a mix of animals calling and people shouting. Deciding he needed to take a break, he set down his pen and rose from his chair before stepping on the stone path.
The boy passed the bushes, gazing at one before looking at another. He bent down and, carefully avoiding any thorns, picked a berry, admiring its ruby coloring and firm feel. He popped it into his mouth before shoving his hands back into his pockets and continuing on his stroll down the path.
He enjoyed simple walks like the one he was currently taking, even if he was just a ten year-old. It gave him an opportunity to escape the lifestyle his parents instilled in him. His father owned a leather tannery, making his family's income relatively high in comparison to other townsfolk. His parents were often referred to as noblemen, if New York had any. With wealthy parents, he was given education far higher than anyone else he knew, which often took most of his time. The rest of the hours he had to himself were spent learning the ways of tanning leather, apprenticing under his father. Rarely was he given the opening in his schedule to leave his busy life behind and simply be at peace as he was now.
A rustle pulled the boy from his thoughts. He turned toward the source of the noise before hearing an "ouch!" from the same place. As he grew closer toward the bush the sounds came from, they became more frequent. He peeked his head around the bush to see a young girl picking at the fruit. Her auburn hair was drenched and clung to her back as her hands fumbled under much-too-large sleeves of her shirt. She couldn't have been much younger than the boy.
The instant he saw her, he was immediately aware that this girl was an intruder.
"Hey!" he called. She instantly looked up and saw the boy. Before he could do anything, she jumped upright and bolted away from him.
"Wait! Come back!" he yelled after her as he took chase.
The girl struggled to hold her oversized shirt as a basket for the berries, all the while weaving between obstacles and hoping over the fence that marked the end of the property. She glanced backwards to see her opposition quickly closing the gap between the two. In her distraction, her foot caught a stray tree root and she was sent into a tumble, finally falling face-first into a soggy patch of grass. Most of the berries were crushed under her weight, staining her once white shirt with pink and purple spots, mixing with the grass and mud smears she gained with her fall. The boy caught up with her seconds later.
She noticed the boy's presence and struggled to get on her feet again, desperate not to get caught. Her efforts proved to be for naught when he grabbed her wrist, preventing her from any hopes of escape. Her free hand clawed at his, but he didn't budge.
"Lemme go!" she cried, tugging at his hand. When she realized her strength wasn't going to get her anywhere, she attempted to hit him. After landing a few blows, he caught her other wrist and halted her short-lived assault. Despite knowing she was ultimately cornered, she continued to struggle against his grasp.
"I said lemme go!" she spat once again. The boy failed to see the reasoning behind her absolute refusal of surrender. He only wished to talk to her; ask her why she took what didn't belong to her. Was she afraid of him?
"I don't want to hurt ya," he said in a calmer tone than the girl. Her struggling lessened, but continued.
"Then why won't you let me go?" she replied angrily.
"Why were ya stealing those berries?"
"It's none of ya business! Now lemme go!" she commanded, trying to muster the strength to escape her captor again. He was forced to take a single step forward, but gave nothing else.
"If ya wanted some, I would've given them to ya," he said in a cool demeanor. She paused her struggling for a moment and looked at him. "I wouldn't have told anyone."
Her temper calmed at his words, allowing her to fully assess the boy holding her wrists. He had messy dark brown hair and deep chestnut eyes to match. His clothing stated he was obviously wealthy; he wore a khaki vest, a clean white shirt, black dress pants, and a black scarf tied in a traditional ascot style around his neck. He looked the part of a true gentleman, even though he was around her age. Deeming him trustworthy, she abandoned her efforts to escape and conceded.
"I needed them. For my brother." Feeling her arms go limp in his hands, he released her. He was pleased to see she didn't attempt to escape again.
"Why? Couldn't he just come and ask?"
"He's only five years old. He couldn't have gotten them by himself."
"Well, why did he need them? Don't your parents feed ya?" At the comment, she glanced towards the ground, almost ashamed, the boy noted, before sighing and looking back at the boy.
"We're orphans. I've always had to find us food and shelter ever since I could remember. I never saw my mom or dad."
Her gaze strayed to the ground again. He couldn't help but pity this girl. Here she was, reduced to having to steal in order to gain a sample of a proper meal not only for her, but for her younger brother as well. Being raised in the wealthy family he had, he could not relate with her, but he did sympathize for her. Only then did an idea come to his mind.
"Maybe I can ask my mother and father if you can stay with us. We have guest rooms. I'm sure it's in better condition that your current, erm, place," he offered, trying to be sensitive regarding her current predicament for fear she might lash out again.
She could do nothing but stare at him. A home? Proper meals? For both her and her brother? Never had she known someone to offer her so much out of thin air. This boy she was desperately trying to get away from mere minutes ago was offering her and her brother a new life; a new beginning. Something she had never had before. The entire situation was unreal. In fact, she decided, it couldn't be real.
"You're...you're lying," she declared as she slowly started to back away, her eyes becoming glossy.
"Why would I lie to a girl I just met?" he inquired innocently, equally taking a few steps forward.
"B-because I'm just an orphan and you're just some rich boy. Why would you offer a new everything to some girl and her brother?" she squeaked.
He was hurt at the "just some rich boy" comment. It sounded insulting her context. He never considered himself rich, only that his parents were wealthy. He needed to prove to her that he wasn't some snobby boy who only wanted to make fun of her unfortunate circumstances.
His eyes came across a berry that survived the girl's fall. He bent down, picked it up, and cleaned it off with the cuff of his shirt, dirtying the white fabric. Deeming it clean, he stuck out his hand and offered it to her, who only looked at the fruit with doubt.
"I have no reason to lie. What harm could be done?"
She searched his face, trying to find any indication that what he was offering was false, before looking back to the berry in his hand. He was right: what harm could come from this? She could take a hit to her pride if he were lying, but pride would change nothing in terms of her and her brother. She had nothing to lose considering she had nothing to begin with.
With a shaking hand, she took hold of the berry and cradled it in her hands. She looked up at the boy in front of her, doubt still in her eyes, when she noticed a smile grace his face.
"Follow me. I'm sure ya don't want to wait in this rain," he said, gesturing with his hand for her to follow. She walked behind him closely as he led her back to his home.
Once he reached the front door, he opened it and called, "Mother? Father?"
The girl took the moment to analyze her surroundings. His house had two stories and was much more pleasant inside than outside. The very first item she noticed was what looked like a family crest printed on a shield on the wall directly opposite of the main door with two swords crossed beneath the crest. Ornaments and paintings decorated the walls. A grand staircase was seen down a corridor on her left, trimmed with what looked to be mahogany. On her right, she could see a dining room of sorts with a brilliant chandelier overlooking the table. She glanced back at the boy in front of her. "Just some rich boy" seemed to be an understatement at this point.
Heavy footsteps resounded down the corridor from her left. She assumed the owner of the footsteps was walking down the stairs. Her assumption was confirmed when a man of large stature came into view. He looked fairly similar to the boy she came in with and wore clothes slightly more regal looking. A necklace with a circular pendant dangled from his neck. His dark hair was tied back into a short ponytail and he had the beginnings of a beard on his face.
Before he could see the girl, she ducked behind a wall, disliking the feeling of weakness she suddenly sensed.
As the man grew closer, he bellowed, "Ah, my boy! Finished with your studies already? What a quick learner!"
"Not exactly," the boy responded as the man stopped in front of him. "Where's Mother?"
"She had to finish a stitch or two in her new quilt before coming down. Did you need to ask us a question?" the boy's father asked. To the girl behind the wall, he sounded similar to a gentle giant.
"Not about the studies, Father, but something else." After his words, footsteps lighter than the father's were heard. Before the boy could continue, a young woman joined the two males in their conversation.
"Hello, son. Did you need something?" the woman asked in a soft voice. Her dark hair resembled both the boy's and the father's and her smile was as sincere as a hymn.
The boy inhaled and exhaled to clear his thoughts, taking care to phrase his words precisely.
"When I was working on my studies, I became a little . . . sidetracked," he began. "I ran into a girl who was trying to get some food for her and her younger brother. I found out they're orphans. They have no home. The girl has always had to protect and provide for them both and she's only my age." He took a pause to gather his breath once again. "Can she and her brother stay here? At least for a while? We have plenty of guest rooms."
The parents exchanged a glance before the father asked, "Well, where is this girl? Surely you didn't leave her in the rain."
The boy glanced behind him in the girl's direction, catching her eye as she peeked from behind the wall. Cautiously, she stepped away from it and came up behind the boy, feeling quite timid in the father's and mother's presence. The older women bent down to her level and coaxed her from behind the boy. Her eyes immediately went to her shirt, which was not only much too big for her, but stained brown, green, and purple.
"Oh, dear, what happened to you?" she asked, concerned. The girl only looked down in shame, feeling scrutinized.
Sensing she wasn't going to answer, the boy replied, "She fell into the wet grass. There were some berries on the ground, too." He carefully avoided the fact that she had stolen the berries and attempted to get away with them.
His mother seemed genuinely concerned over the girl's predicament. She examined the young girl's attire, her hands cautiously brushing against the soiled fabric, and turned to her husband. "The very least we can do is get her cleaned. She's doomed to catch that illness that's been going around if she stays as is."
The man gave the girl a once over before giving his wife a nod. "We can clean her up," he confirmed. "Her brother too. I've known quite a few orphans myself, but never this young. I'm sure we can make some sort of arrangement for them regarding a house to stay in."
The woman rose to her feet and straightened out her skirts. "I will go and get Ella to help clean her up," she said before briskly turning around and backtracking up the grand staircase she originally descended from. Her husband's eyes followed her retreating form until she could no longer be seen before returning his gaze to the two children in front of him.
"Well, I suppose we should go find your brother then, shouldn't we?" he announced to the girl, a comforting grin stretching across his face. She described where exactly to find him in the city after she was told she would stay in the house to be pampered by the two women.
As his father turned to grab his coat and tricorn hat, the boy turned to the girl. "By the way, what's your name? Ya got one, don't ya?
"M-my name's Gillian," she muttered, still shaken by his parent's presence. "And my brother's is Fillan."
The innocent smile he wore was filled with gaps and loose teeth. "Mine's Joseph. Things'll work out. Remember that, okay?"
First thing's first: I cannot guarantee regular updates, much less very frequent updates. I'm hoping to get the bulk of this story done during the remainder of my Spring Break because when I get back to school, all hell's gonna break loose and I'll be lucky to ge to bed before 2 every night. So, if you truly are interested in this story, do tell me. Believe me, readers who tell me what I'm doing right or wrong will probably get me to get these chapters out quicker. I'm not begging for reviews, but they're always appreciated.
Now, on the actual story. This chapter is more of a prologue to the story than anything else. The next few chapters will be a little slow because I have to establish where the characters stand since Microsoft didn't give too much on their backgrounds. So, bare with me here. Anywho, I never really considered the Lady Maverick and the Night Stalker to be together, but I've seen a few pictures that have swayed me slightly. And with the Night Stalker being my favorite MP character, I had to write about him.
Have a wonderful day! :)
-iTomboy