White? Why was it white? White was strange. Bad camoflauge. Stood out too much. White was bad. Very bad. Silly predator has white. Almost worth a laugh.

She giggled to herself, watching the hunter with white. Amazingly, the prey around him ignored the brightness of his colors, and the predator was completely unnoticed. Hmm, maybe she should try white. Prey always screamed when they saw her. Maybe white would help?

Lifting her head, she looked around for anything white to try her theory. Spying a small cloth, she scrambled to her feet and loped on all fours to the edge of the roof she was currently on, fingers grasping the edge in the brief moment before her legs shoved away from it. The brief moment of weightlessness had her smiling again, broken front teeth jagged and sharp, and she landed awkwardly, right arm bending under her as it took the weight. She folded her legs oddly under her before she stalked to the cloth, listening for any prey. Hearing nothing, she reached out and grabbed it, dragging it as well as she could over her head, gathering it around her neck. The cloth felt odd against her bare skin, but she put up with the irritation as she walked back to the edge of the roof, looking once more for the predator.

Ignoring the white prey, she scanned the herd below her until she found the predator, seamlessly blending in. Tilting her head, she studied him for another moment before jumping to the ground, hand catching a roof pole to slow herself on her descent.

A female prey screamed at the sight of her, but she ignored the silly creature and scampered on all fours after the white predator, hissing in irritation when the white on her did nothing to stop the screams of fear. Ptah, stupid creatures. How did they ignore one white predator and notice another?

Shoving her way through the herd, she sniffed along the ground, searching for the hunter. It was difficult finding it through the stench of the herd, but after circling for the third time, she managed to find the burnt-wood smell. It was quite distinct from the weak smells.

Pausing to growl at the shiny prey that approached her cautiously, she bared her jagged teeth, lowering her head in threat. A breeze brought the nose-wrinkling smell of fear with it, and she snarled before running and jumping over their heads, barking in laughter as they ducked to avoid her. She was fear in this place. A shadow seen only when wanted. It was an excellent place to hunt.

Nose to the ground once more, she followed the scent of the hunter through the alleys, wrinkling her brow in confusion when the smell crawled up a wall. Looking up painfully, she studied the dark pegs, looking around her to see if the smell traveled anywhere else. No, this was the only path. He had gone up.

Whimpering slightly, she stood up, trying to keep howls of pain from sounding as her spine straightened. Bony knobs pressed against each other, scraping, cracking, causing the utmost agony. One leg twisted outward, an instinctive attempt to relieve the pain, and she balanced on her toes. Standing was almost impossible, but she could force herself to do it. For short periods of time, anyways.

Gritting the jagged ends of her teeth against each other, she reached an arm up for the first peg, lean muscles pulling her up. Crouching on that first peg, she couldn't help a sigh of relief as the pain in her back stopped, the hollow echoes still resonating through her body. But now that she had gotten up to the first peg, she could leap and twist the rest of the way up to the roof. No more standing.

Pain swiftly forgotten, she grinned in anticipation of the hunt as she pushed with her legs, reaching out with one casual hand to catch the next peg. Swinging underneath, she let her momentum carry her back around, landing on the top of the peg. Jumping straight up for the next one, she grabbed it with her arms and scrambled her way up, continuing her way up like this. In this manner she very swiftly reached the flat surface of the roof, her preferred hunting grounds. So much easier to hunt from above.

Sniffing once more, she followed the scent from building to building, slowing as the smell grew stronger. Finally stopping, she lifted her head from the ground and tilted her head, listening intently. Below her, the sounds of the city carried on, but she blocked those out in favor of listening for more subtle sounds. Any predator would try to be as quiet as possible. It made it so much easier to find them.

She bared her teeth in a grin as she heard the quiet breaths from her right, facing away from her. Looking that way and sniffing, she began the slow process of circling around, slinking from shadow to shadow, dark skin hiding her, natural skills masking her. Time to hunt.

By the time she finally found him, he had moved from his original spot and was slowly making his way across the city, on his guard. She had to suppress a giggle as one foot landed barely a hands-width from her face, her bright eyes following it closely. He was absorbed in his own hunt, not realizing himself that he was being stalked. So easy to catch. The confident predator was the foolish predator.

Slowly slinking out from her hiding place, she cautiously padded up behind him, bare stomach lightly scraping against the hard roof. A lifetime of practice ensured she didn't make a noise as she hunted, slowly drawing nearer to her target. A predator hunting a predator. The ultimate feeling. A challenge from hunting the prey milling down below. Up here, it was just them. They would be alone.

A single length of her body away from him, she gathered her legs under her, ignoring the scraping sound her feet made, and leapt, silent, mouth open in a snarl, baring teeth jagged from being broken so many times. Teeth so sharp she gnawed through her ropes to escape the one time she had been captured. Teeth that left grooves against the bones of her past kills. Teeth that were ready to sever the white predator's throat.

XXX

Altaїr felt a brief moment of puzzlement as he heard the scraping noise behind him, turning to see if it was a bird landing on the stone roof. However, his puzzlement swiftly turned to alarm as he saw the almost-naked woman leaping for him, jagged teeth bared in a feral snarl, hands extended to grab him. In that one, perfect moment of clarity, he noticed her single item of clothing, a white scarf wrapped around her neck, and briefly thought just how absurd it was that he was being attacked by a woman with almost no teeth wearing only a scarf, incorrectly, at that. However, he had to let those thoughts melt quickly away, so he could deal with that absurd woman.

Twisting to the side, Altaїr just narrowly avoided being tackled to the ground, turning to watch his attacker with narrowed eyes as she landed oddly on one forearm, spinning around to face him as the rest of her body settled. He flicked his wrist to release the hidden blade on his arm, showing it to her in an effort to scare her off. Instead, she gave an odd, high-pitched yip and an unsettling grin, circling him on all fours. Confused, he noticed how her spine had this odd twist to it near the base, most likely explaining how she was able to move with such ease on all fours. Unusual, to say the least.

Of course he had heard the rumors floating around the city of the strange, deformed creature that preyed on the citizens. Of course he had dismissed them, believing them to be the fantasies typical of such a small settlement. But with the deformed woman before him, teeth stained with obvious years of blood, he had to reluctantly accept that those rumors were true. It didn't mean that he had to accept the fact that this creature had obviously been hunting him, however.

"Just how did you find me?" Altaїr questioned quietly, drawing a throwing knife out of its sheath. The woman froze for a moment, tilting her head in confusion at the suddenly-appearing blade, then squealed in indignation when he threw it at her, twisting like a cat in the air to avoid it.

He couldn't help a small smile at the impressive maneuver.

"Well done, I'll admit. Let's see just how good you are."

The woman gave a challenging growl to his words, responding to his smile with one of her own as she lowered her head. Shuffling sideways, she hissed as she watched him, clearly waiting for him to make the first move. And move he did.

Altaїr lunged toward her suddenly, arm pulling back to stab her through with the blade. However, surprising him with her flexibility, she twisted underneath his legs, tripping him as she avoided to blade. He stumbled forward ungracefully, swearing to himself, and tried to turn to keep an eye on her. Just as he turned his head, however, a heavy weight slammed into his side, pushing immediately off and shoving him sprawling to the ground. He managed to save his fall with a roll, and spun around to face her, frowning.

"Wasn't expecting that", he muttered, watching her grin warily. Once again, she waited for him to make the next move, and he began wondering just what was going on. She seemed to be not even trying, and it made him uneasy. Was she playing with him?

"I'm not a toy, you know."

A giggle answered him, cackling like a hyena, and he straightened up, frowning. He refused to be some play-toy for a deformed, insane woman.

The laugh cut off abruptly as he stood, the pleased expression on the woman's face twisting into a scowl. She gave a threatening growl, taking a step forward, and he just eyed her coldly. Seeing no reaction from him, she bared her teeth in a hiss, hunching her shoulders threateningly. When Altaїr refused to move again, a sharp screech issued from her throat as she leaped forward, hands outstretched and legs unfolding behind her.

He meant to twist out of the way again, but she moved faster than he had expected. So instead of avoiding her, she collided with his off-balance body, tackling him to the ground and pinning him there, a hand on the back of his skull, forcing his face into the sand on the roof.

He growled in frustration. She growled back.

"Well, it seems we have an impasse here, don't we?"

A hiss answered his question.

"Thought so."

XXX

She held the white predator there for a long time, long enough for the noon sun to sink down into twilight. The heat from the day had made her very thirsty, but she could ignore it. She had been thirsty before. The sweat running down her skin was annoying, though, and it was very hard to resist the urge to wipe it off. If she moved, she had no doubt the predator would kill her. She had to hold him until something changed. Whatever it might be.

He muttered incomprehensively again, and she growled once more, forcing his face deeper into the sand collected on the roof. His angry shout was slightly muffled, and she grinned sadistically. It was taking a long time for him to give up. He was a strong predator. It was a good hunt. If she was hungry, she might have actually killed him, but she had no intention of doing so. No, all she had wanted was entertainment, something to distract her from the sameness. It got quite boring after a while.

A bird landed on the ground right next to her, and, despite herself, she immediately snapped her head around to stare in wonder at it. A moment later, she found herself deeply regretting the action.

XXX

When Altaїr heard the bird land next to him and felt the weight on his back shift, he knew that was his moment to act. Ignoring muscles tight from hours of not moving, he swiftly rolled over onto his back, drawing a knife out of his belt as he did so. The woman gave a startled squawk as she fell forward onto his chest, and immediately froze when she felt the tip of the blade press against her ribs.

"My, my, how the situation's changed." His low voice did nothing to hide his fury, eyes smoldering in the darkening light. He was furious. Not only had he been attacked and bested, but he had been held immobile for hours, ruining his chances of assassinating his target that day. That meant another day of staying in this shithole of a town, of remaining hidden. He was already behind schedule as it was. How would the Master react if he found out just why Altaїr had been delayed? Or the rest of the Brothers? He would be the laughing stalk of the Brotherhood for months. All because of this filthy, deformed woman.

"What I should do, hmm? Put a hole through your liver? Stab through your heart? Slice your stomach open and leave you for the vultures?"

His furious gold eyes met her black ones, and, stupefying him, she grinned and started that accursed giggling again, high-pitched, wheezing, and ultimately infuriating.

"And just what do you find so funny?" he seethed, stabbing the point of his blade a fraction harder against her dark skin. Oddly enough, this caused her to escalate into hysterics, rolling off him and holding her side as her giggles wracked through her body.

He didn't hesitate a moment to put the blade to her neck, but when this failed to produce even the slightest acknowledgement, he finally stayed his blade, thoroughly confused. Was she mentally ill?

At the click of the blade being sheathed, the woman's laughter immediately ceased, her eyes narrowing and suddenly glowing with an intense light. His body froze for a brief moment, startled, but by the time he moved she was already gone, scrambling away on all fours, leaping across the roofs with a deceptive ease. He stared after her, brow furrowed, then decided and moved to follow her. His target could wait for another day. For now, his curiosity was piqued.

And she had stolen his feather.

XXX

She giggled as she ran under the hay wagon, sliding to a stop in a spray of sand. Checking to see if anyone had seen her, she curled up, making a nest out of the loose grains to hold her body heat during the cold desert night. Once she felt secure, she opened her hand, staring in wonder at the white feather that lay in it. The edges had been crushed and torn by her fleeing, and she crooned softly as she straightened them again, marveling at the structure. She had another feather to add to her collection, hidden away in a cave deep in the desert. Thinking of the myriad of feathers and soft things waiting for her in her den, she smiled and buried her nose in the feather, smelling the white predator and the soft dusty smell of a bird. She would spend the next day in her den, she decided. She could hold off eating for another day.

Looking around her once more, she tucked her face into the crook of her elbow, fighting off the chill and curling up tighter. The feather was pressed against her cheek, and for a moment she nuzzled it, mind fuzzy with the encroaching darkness that was sleep. Then, that odd smile still on her face, she dove into the blackness, oblivious to the rest of the world.

XXX

Altaїr watched as the deformed woman curled up underneath the wagon, puzzled as to why she was so fascinated with the feather. She straightened the edges with the greatest care, sniffing it and nuzzling it. For a brief moment he entertained the fantasy that maybe she had an obsession with him, but mentally scoffed at the thought. Why would he care to have such a woman fawning over him?

His golden eyes sharpened as she finally stilled, and he waited until her body relaxed in the thrall that was sleep. One arm flopped over, hand twitching, and he finally moved, descending onto the street below.

Placing his feet carefully to make no sound, he approached the wagon the creature slept under, tense and alert. Anyone noticing his presence might question him, rousing the woman, or she could be a light sleeper and wake at the wrong sound. Normally he wouldn't attempt something like this until he was certain there was no way he could fail, but he needed that feather. He could not complete his mission without it.

A short distance away from the sleeping deformity, he stopped, slowly lowering himself to a crouch to see underneath the wagon. She had shifted slightly, one leg stretching out, but other than that didn't seem to be disturbed by his presence. He wanted to snort at her foolishness. Not only did she sleep out in the open, where anyone could see her, but she apparently was a heavy sleeper as well. It was obvious she was not trained by anyone, or she would not have done anything this stupid.

He paused, then took a step back and looked around himself. Unless this was trap, and she was bait for an ambush. However, he could see nothing that might be a threat to him, but that didn't mean there was nothing there. Wasn't he a master of hidden kills himself? With her dark skin, he couldn't be certain of her origins, and one never knew if there might be another clan of assassins like the Brotherhood. He could be walking straight into a trap.

After a moment, he shook his head and stalked forward again. If he was intended to die, he would have been killed while he was pinned on that rooftop. She was harmless, to an extent. Or at least there was nothing hiding behind a wall waiting to strike him.

At least she was intelligent enough to sleep underneath the center of the wagon, he mused as he crouched to crawl underneath it. Her hand twitched as the sand shifted underneath him, but there was no other movement from her as he slid forward on his belly. As he approached, he became aware of the ripe smell of her body, and wrinkled his nose as he reached a hand out to grab her and drag her out.

She gave a sudden soft sigh, rolling over to face him, and he froze, thinking she was waking. Luckily, though, she only licked her lips, avoiding her shattered teeth and rubbing her face against the feather before settling again. He remained still for a few minutes, waiting, then, quick as a striking cobra, grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her hiding spot.

He might as well have set off a few explosions in the middle of the town with the noise she made, screaming and snarling. Her jagged teeth clicked towards his face, and he jerked his head back instinctively, narrowly avoiding the sharp edges. She pulled at his arms, trying to free herself, and as she bent her head down to bite his hand he slapped his free palm across her face, startling her into a brief moment of silent stillness.

The air was still for a moment, except for the sounds of the citizens waking, and then he could feel a strong anger building up under her skin, dark and angry as a sandstorm. A sense of unease filled him as her twisted face turned to meet his, and he became instantly aware of how they were standing, she trying to crouch as much as possible while he held her arm up to his height. Her neck was bent from his slap, one hand hooked into talons, and her weight was balanced on her toes, as in any professional fighter. Altaїr suddenly became very afraid, and he found out a brief moment later that his fear was not unfounded.

A low, rumbling growl filled the air as she suddenly bent towards her feet, yanking him down after her. As he struggled to pull her back up and catch his balance, she exploded once again upwards, top of her head slamming under his chin, making his teeth clang together and his vision dance briefly with explosions. His hand relaxed the slightest amount, and suddenly she was free, falling to all fours and running away, silent and swift as a vengeful spirit.

He sprinted after her, ignoring the confused and alarmed shouts behind him as he twisted and turned through the alley, steadily catching up with her. Fast she may be, but the human body was not made for running on all fours, and he had undergone years of aggressive training to maintain his form. The thought of her outrunning him was a joke.

Startling him with her agility, she suddenly leaped onto a pile of crates, sending them crashing behind her, then twisted her way through a window, causing the occupants inside to scream in panic. Gritting his teeth, he jumped off of one of the fallen crates onto the top of the house, running across and reaching the other side just as the woman leaped through another window. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he leaped, feet right over the small of her back.

They landed in a painful tangle, snarls and yells mixing together as the fought in the sand, one struggling to pin the other while the other strained to get away. Teeth buried themselves in his forearm, and Altaїr grunted at the hot pain that radiated from the bite. A knife slipped from his belt, and he drove it into the woman's side, wincing as a scream of pain sounded right next to his ear. She collapsed, then tried once more to twist to her feet and run again, snarling and yelping as he planted his boot in the middle of her back with an audible cracking sound. There was a squeal of pain, then suddenly the creature beneath him was still.

He paused for a moment, then bent down to see if perhaps he had killed her. But no, she was still alive, glaring at him through tears of pain, still in surrender. He studied her for a moment, then grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her, ignoring her whimper of pain as he tied her hands behind her back with cord. He hobbled her feet and lifted her from the ground, absently noting the puddle of blood that was hungrily absorbed by the cold sand. He tried to make her stand, but as her back snapped and she whimpered he growled and slung her over his shoulder, bearing her slight weight as he began running. The owners of the house behind him had lit their candles and watched the fight with wide eyes, but there was nothing he could do to prevent them from telling of his existence. He could not harm an innocent.

Around him, the town was rousing, guards filling the streets, and he grit his teeth as he began his ascent up a building, the weight on his left shoulder setting him off balance and threatening to spill them both onto the streets again. However, the deformed woman was unnaturally still, which he had to be slightly grateful for. If she had been struggling, there would have been no way to climb with her. And he was determined to bring her to the Rafik. She was an oddity, and he knew that Sabba would enjoy trying to figure her out.

Reaching the roof, he grunted as he crawled over the ledge, struggling to keep his balance as he stood. The weight on his shoulder remained unmoving even as they almost fell, and for a brief moment he was concerned she might have died. But no, as he turned she was still watching him, the whites of her eyes the only visible part of her in the night. Her gaze flicked to his then swiftly away, reminding him of a cowed dog, and he furrowed his brow once more as he carried her to the guild. She was an odd creature, alright.

He ran over the buildings, taking a safer route now that his weight had increased by over half. His jumps were shorter and landings heavier, almost spraining his ankle on one jump, and he grit his teeth as he stared longingly at the guild entrance a short distance away. But it was too far to jump with her weight, so he turned and took a longer way around.

Twisting out of sight as a guard climbed up a ladder, Altaїr swore softly to himself as he ducked behind a tower. Moving slowly, he turned just enough to see the guard, watching as he apparently meant to set up station on that corner. While under normal circumstances Altaїr wouldn't have a problem, with the added weight on him he wouldn't be able to duck silently around him as he normally would. Problems upon problems, it seemed.

Sighing, he quietly dropped the deformed woman, glaring at her in warning. Surprising him with her sudden shift in attitude, she dropped her eyes and turned away, remaining as still and compliant as if he was still holding her. Then again, she was still tied, so that might account for her compliancy.

Reasonably certain she wouldn't move, he crouched and stalked toward the guard, creeping up like a shadow on his turned back. There was a click followed by a wet grunt, then the sound of something heavy dropping to the roof. Looking around him, Altaїr wiped his blade off on the guard's clothing before turning back and picking up the woman, who apparently hadn't even moved after he left her. She stood obediently at his beckon, causing him to raise an arched eyebrow, and he once again slung her over his shoulder and ran off. Within moments, he was dropping down onto the guild's floor, the Rafik stepping out to greet the assassin. Altaїr turned in time to see the puzzled expression, and dropped the deformed woman on the floor.

"Altaїr, Son of None, I would least expect you to bring a woman back to our hidden place."

"It's a gift for you."

"I never took you for a joker, Altaїr", the Rafik stated in amusement, checking on the condition of the woman lying on the ground. As his hand touched her skin, her eyes flew open, and he was barely able to avoid the teeth aiming for his throat.

As he sat back, stunned, the woman snarled and writhed, fighting against the bonds. Altaїr chuckled dryly, and the Rafik turned a stony expression up to the assassin.

"Many thanks, Altaїr Ibn La-Ahad", he spat out sarcastically, and Altaїr chuckled louder.

"It is of no concern."

~x~

A/N: I know, I should be working on my L4D fics. But my friend recently let me borrow his Assassin's Creed games, and I have found a new obsession. Yes, the other fics will be finished, but apparently slowly. But the ideas are still in my brain, I'm still attached to them, so all is good. I promise.

Anyone who was following my old account should immediately recognize the female character. While she is not an exact copy, I based her off of my much-beloved character Reni, my brave lion. I miss using her, but, being a Naruto oc, was not able to really use her. While I could just move her into a different story, I decided to just create a kind of clone, so as not to harm her original design and soul. Thus, this character was born. I'll tell you now her name will be Canid, and she is African. And, for those who didn't catch it, her teeth are broken and sharp, and her back is afflicted with sciatica, a deformity I'm quite familiar with, having it myself. I exaggerated it a bit, but I occasionally feels very similar to what is described in the story.

I will apologize for the long wait on my other stories, but my mind has a severe case of ADD and if I focus too long on one thing I get incredibly frustrated and spaz. This one might not be updated too often, either, since college is really busy, but I promise to not be too outrageous.

Alright, I'm leaving off!