00
Altaïr chased after his target through the dark streets, he had been hunting down every 'piece' the 'apple' showed him and he was on the heels of a person who would lead him to another clue – he had to catch them before the Templers did! It was not too easy though, his prey was not overly fast but the cloaked figure seemed to know which alleys he was taking in hopes of catching the target off guard. He had nearly gotten them from the roofs but the figure had seemed to know he was there. After a long chase through the winding streets of Jerusalem, the person stopped at a dead end – which had a ladder. The Assassin barely missed catching the other's foot as he leapt after them, he cursed in irritation and then again when he heard a struggle on the roof; had a guard gotten them? He made it onto the roof, ready for a fight but upon seeing Malik with his target caught and held to the roof, he relaxed.
"Was it coincidence that you ended up back at the bureau, Brother?"
"…must be." Altaïr nodded at Malik and the Dai released the target. They carefully got up, looking first at Altaïr and then at Malik, who was ready for them to bolt but not for them to throw their arms around him and cry into his neck. Malik was halfway between wanting to stab this person repeatedly or throwing them off the bureau's roof. If not for the smaller person's breasts pressed against him and the distinctive sound of a woman's voice – he possibly would have done both.
"Do not let him stab me! I do not know what I did but I am sorry! Make him leave me alone!" Malik stared wide eyed at Altaïr, who was also stood with a beguiled expression on his face. It was a woman – why did it have to be a woman? He couldn't in good conscience torture information out of this person now. "I do not have any treasures, any silver trinkets or shrouds! Please, Malik, make him go away…"
Altaïr's hazel eyes narrowed, "Malik, you know this woman?"
"No," it sounded unconvincing with her hanging onto him and muttering his name like a mantra, her face nuzzling into his neck and seeming like it was completely normal. He pushed her away, not expecting her to topple backwards and land on her backside. Her hood fell to her shoulders and he was met with large blue eyes that looked at him as if he had stepped on a kitten, she had a pretty face, long, dark curly hair and a pout that would have made weaker men grovel and apologise – but Malik was not a weak man. "How do you know my name?"
"I…I…" fed up with her stuttering, Altaïr stepped forward and yanked her up by her arm. Both Assassin and woman gasped painfully and separated as if burned by the touch; Altaïr gripped his head for a moment as it throbbed angrily and the woman did the same but appeared to be in more pain than the Assassin. He recovered first, he looked at Malik as if to confirm that had really happened – apparently so by the look of shock on the other's face. "You…are looking for something…but I do not have it. A woman can lead you to something; she is in Acre – a Templer…M-Maria."
Altaïr frowned, Maria again? He had hoped she would be forgotten now that Robert was dead, if she had information on another 'piece' though, he would go after her, "How do you know this?" he demanded from her, hardly sympathetic to the obvious discomfort she was in and simply wanting answers.
"I am like Adha, she was more important though…powerful…they will kill her – you will be too late and hold her…cold and lifeless and al-!" Altaïr hauled her up by her collar, anger evident on his face as he lifted her nearly off the tiles.
"Where is Adha? What do you know of what she is! Explain yourself, woman!"
"I do not know! I can not tell where she is but I know she only has months left – I know you love her but - !" he tightened his grip and demanded the location, "I do not know! She was the chalice and I am just some useless 'piece', I am worthless without the other half – please! I do not choose what I see!" a hand landed on Altaïr's arm and drew the angry man's attention away from the terrified young woman. Malik told him to calm himself that she would explain things better if she were not in fear of her life.
"I know her name brings you pain, Brother, I know." He winced when the woman clung to him again but ignored her, "Let us not do this on the roof where an archer can pick us off." He glared down at the other, "Who are you?"
"Nadira…your future wife~" she gave him a shy smile and Malik rose an eyebrow.
The Dai pulled her away again shoved her toward the open roof, "Of course!" he said sarcastically, "And Altaïr will be the god father of our first born!"
00
"Malik!" the man looked up from his work and to the doorway of his bureau, upon seeing who it was he let a smile light up his usually serious features and made his way around the counter. He and Altaïr shared a brief embrace, Altaïr patting his shoulder as he spoke again, "I heard from one of the informants that I missed the main event – a girl, was it?"
"I do not think you missed it by accident; your nose still seems bent from when Maria bore your son. What were you thinking? Impregnating her and then offering your support during the birth – surely you knew she would hit you." They both chuckled at the memory that hardly seemed like it was only just over a year ago. "But yes; a girl. She is beautiful, Altaïr, I swear she is the prettiest baby I have ever seen – maybe being her father makes me a little biased but if anyone says otherwise I will personally gut them and make toys from their bones." He ignored the way the other Assassin smirked at him, "She is sleeping now and so you will have to wait to meet your god daughter." They both made their way into the entry room to catch up.
Altaïr had not only come to see Malik's first child and wanted to get the business part of his visit over and done with as soon as possible. He had good news and he had bad news; the good news was that he had managed to get the 'Apple' back from a Templer lackey who had somehow retrieved it. The bad news; he had used the apple, discovered another 'Piece of Eden' and gotten away. "They know about Nadira and for this reason it would be wise for you and her to move back to Masyaf." Malik opened his mouth to argue but Altaïr held up a hand. "It would keep her safe – it would keep your child safe!"
"That is a cheap shot; do not use a baby barely a day old to sway me." He had been perfectly content! Why did Altaïr have to bring a dark cloud into his bureau? "Nadira has family here, I have my duties as Dai and I do not to raise my baby girl in the fortress. We moved back to Jerusalem because you thought it was safer to keep her away from the Brotherhood and now – now that we are settled! You want us to pack up and leave – when?" he wanted to cross his arms but as he was missing one he settled for smacking the back of Altaïr's hood, "You realise there is snow on the ground and that Nadira is still recovering from yesterday, yes?"
Growling at the sting on the back of his head, Altaïr glared at Malik, "The snow will not last…but the sooner we move the better." He had been thinking so much about persuading Malik that this was a good choice that he had forgotten to ask after the woman he was trying to protect. "How is she?"
"Not well." Malik said simply, an elbow in his ribs made him grunt and then sigh at the other's silent request for a better answer. "Physically she is weak, it has not been an easy pregnancy and the birth itself was hard on her – if she was not suffering from the pain of labour then she was suffering from her...'gift'. You know that pain makes it worse. If not for – " both men flinched and stood quickly when a crash came from the main room, Malik pushed in front of Altaïr and made his way through the door, "Nadira, I told you to call if you needed anything!" he chastised as he saw his wife leaning heavily against the counter and looking at where she had knocked the incense pot to the floor. The man clicked his tongue as he made his way to her, he hated how pale she looked, her normally dark skin was several shades lighter than he liked, she felt warm under his touch, feeling her forehead and sliding the dark hair away from the damp skin made his frown intensify. "What are you doing out of bed?"
She mumbled incoherently, quiet enough that the Assassin at first failed to understand until he pulled her closer to his body. Altaïr saw a look of frustration cross his friend's face, "What is it, Malik?"
"Something about, 'blood on the walls', 'broken…' something broken but I can not make sense of it." He gave the woman a light shake, "Nadira, come back to me…look at me – Nadira!" another light shake and the young woman looked at him as if not realising he had been there all along. She looked around the room, acknowledged in her mind that Altaïr was close by and then stared back up into Malik's impossibly dark eyes; when had she moved from the bed?
She leant against Malik, wrapping her arms around his middle and rested her head against his shoulder, "I will not be going to Masyaf for at least a few weeks…the river is going to break its banks and block the way." She closed her blue eyes and sighed in both exhaustion and frustration. She had a strange talent, she glimpsed into the future or sometimes a person's past – like Adha had been, she was another human form of a 'piece of Eden'. Where as Adha had been the chalice and capable of uniting people – something useful! Nadira was stuck with annoying glimpses of things that could have already happened or be happening a million miles away for all she knew. Usually she was not plagued with the visions, as they only came to her when she was in pain, but the visions caused terrible headaches which caused more visions and more pain – a vicious circle. The best she could do was tell people what the weather would be like.
Altaïr groaned at the news, he had not planned on a delay; he should have brought people with him in case Templers came for Nadira like he expected. He wanted to ask her if she saw any danger coming to Jerusalem, he knew that if she forced herself she would be able to 'see' something but with how ill she looked – he did not even entertain the thought for long. "You should take something to make you sleep."
Nadira shook her head slowly and looked at him from the safety of Malik's chest, "I want to be alert for her." she saw his eyes narrow at her as if he did not except her excuse. "They are just nonsensical images now, you know how it works by now, soon I will be back to normal until I trip or something."
"True enough but if I see you wandering around aimlessly muttering about bloody walls again; I will find a way to drug you."
"Do you always medicate the women you care about, Altaïr?" she said teasingly.
Altaïr smirked, "Believe me, if I could get Maria to take food from me, she would be comatose."
000
Very lame beginning! But it sets a scene ~