Same as in the prologue…

Once I was sure that Giovanni and the child, I now know was no other than the young Lorenzo de' Medici, was safe on dry land. I made my way to Federico.

I reach Palazzo de' Auditore and make sure that no one is following me, before I go in.

Federico is sitting at his desk doing his "banking" work. He has not noticed me yet, behind him hangs a picture of Masyaf, the castle which lies in the Holy land, the head of the Assassin order.

"Ah! La Volpe! What brings you here?" I look at him, and raise an eyebrow.

"It is about your sons." A flash of fear crosses his face, but waits for me to continue.

"I think it is time for them to know about the creed." He knots his eyebrows together.

"Hear me out Federico," I interrupt before he gets a change to argue with me. "Mario will make a mercenary. He has the power, while Giovanni has the skills of an Assassin. The sooner they know the better." He thinks about it and sighs.

"If you think so," I smirk.

"I do think so. By the way, you are going to get some new friends in a short while." I turn around as if I were to leave.

"What do you mean?" He has raised his voice a little.

"Your youngest son saved Lorenzo de' Medici today." I turn my head towards him.

"I will come by later." I make my way to the door and put my hand on the door knot. "By the way, make sure Giovanni is home, he has a habit of sneaking of to some girl. And this is important." I leave and set out to find Giovanni first before setting off to find myself some info on the Templers.

As I make my way through the city, I come across a small group of Templers, I stalk them to hear what they have to say.

"… I just don't see why that Rodrigo Borgia kid has to be the next Master!" That sounds interesting. I creep closer.

"I would keep quiet if I were you." One of the Templers says.

"Si, you never know who is listening." I sink deeper into the shadows as they pass me. I look at the sky, sunset. I better get to Federico.

As I reach their home, I can hear an eagle in the distance, I smile and step inside. Both boys are with their father in his study. They don't hear me enter, but the youngest is quick to sense another person in the room. He turns and look at me with a bit of fear. Mario turns his head in the same direction as his brother, he flinch, I smirk. In the low light combined with my dark clothe, I may look like some kind of demon to them. I slowly walk past them to great Federico.

"Who are you old man?" I raise an eyebrow as I turn to face them. He did just not call me what I think he did, did he? I turn my head to Federico.

"Mario!" Federico raises his voice.

"Mi dispiace padre." He turns his gaze down. I look back at them, I focus on Mario for a moment causing him to look back up.

"My name is La Volpe," I pause at the sound of a small laugher. "And I am here to tell you a few things about the Assassin order." Giovanni looks at me with interest but Mario…

"That is just stories." I smirk.

"Stories, not a fantasy, but of truth." I can tell Giovanni is very interested, while Mario just looks confused.

"And this "old" man will teach you the way of the creed." Giovanni has taken his eyes of me and looks at his father.

"Father, how do you know this man?" Ah, the curiosity, an important trait for an Assassin. Federico seems to be lost of words.

"Your father, like myself, are Assassins." Both boys looks at their father.

"Is it true?" Both boys ask in union.

"Si, my sons, banking is a diversion, our order is one of secrets. But I am sure that La Volpe will tell you more." He looks pointy at me. I look at him.

"It is your sons, your duty to tell." As Federico and I has a glaring match, Mario interrupts.

"Then why are you here?" I sigh but turn back towards the boys.

"I am here to teach you the way of Assassins. More correctly…" I move my gaze to look at Giovanni, "… to teach Giovanni, how to use his skills in a more effective way." Giovanni's eyes becomes larger. Federico looks at Mario.

"Mario, your uncle will be able to teach you the way of mercenary." Mario nods.

"I shall see him if you wish so, padre." I walk over and put my hand on Giovanni's shoulder, "as for you young man, meet me near the Mercato Vecchio district…" Federicos head snaps in my direction at my words.

"Every thief hangs out there!" I turn my head towards him, "relax. They won't lay a finger on him." Not yet anyway. I lean closer to Giovanni, "use your talent." With those words I leave, knowing he would never back down from this little unspoken challenge.

From my place on the roof of San Lorenzo I can watch over Palazzo Medici Riccardi, the young Lorenzo has got a cold from his trip into the Arno. I hear soft footsteps behind me.

"Volpe." I nod my greeting to him as he joins me at the edge of the church.

"What makes you think that Giovanni can find you, when no other can?" I turn to face him.

"Altaïr." I turn back to see the lights go out in Palazzo Medici. I move along the edge.

"Explain yourself Volpe." I sigh and move to his and whisper.

"Follow me and I will explain." We make our way down the church and through the city, as we get closer to the Mercato Vecchio district, I turn right and lead us through a maze of abandoned streets and buildings. In front of the one that looks most ramshackle I stop. I look around and Federico does the same, only a few thieves about. We walk into the building. Ever heard that looks can be deceiving? Well, my home is a perfect example of that, it may look like a ramshackle building, but nothing is wrong inside.

"Explain yourself Volpe." How did he ever become an Assassin with impatience like that? I walk over to my table to sit on it.

"Have you ever wondered why Giovanni and yourself are as good at what you do?" He looks at me with knotted eyebrows. I in return raise an eyebrow.

"What are you getting at La Volpe?" He moves towards the table.

"What I am getting at, Federico, is really nothing. Just the fact that your family bloodline is connected to Altaïr." Federico looks like he has seen a ghost.

"Are you telling me that you don't know?" I smirk at him.

"How do you know?" I move from the table.

"As I said before: It is my business to know everything." I move to one of the bookcases. I take out a scroll and bring it over to Federico.

"What is this?" He takes the scroll and opens it.

"A record of Altaïr's relationship with a, lady called Maria." He looks at me.

"Did they get a child?" I turn my back to him.

"Yes, but here is the thing… this Maria was a Templar." Again he looks like he has seen a ghost.

"But that small part of you is what makes you so good at what you do." He seems to shocked to do anything.

"But how can you be sure?" He asks in a whisper.

"Altaïr's eagle vision." He raises an eyebrow.

"But I thought that was just a myth…" I turn my head to him again.

"That is what I will find out tomorrow." I go over to him and take the scroll back, as I place it back I remember what the Templers said.

"Another thing," his head follows me as I walk to the table. "It will seem that the Templar Mastro has died…" I cross my arms.

"But this is good…" I interrupt him.

"They have already found a grand Mastro, I will see what I can found out about him. But no doubt that he will be worse than the last." He nods and starts pacing around, I sigh.

"Go home Federico, and leave Giovanni to me. He might learn something." He smiles.

"You teaching, I never thought I live to see the day." He leaves.

The next day I wandered around the Mercato Vecchio, it wasn't long before I spotted Giovanni. He was wondering mindlessly around, I got hold of one of my thieves and told him to rub the kid. Just as the thief got close enough to steal from him Giovanni turned causing the thief to abandon the theft. I smirk and walk towards the kid.

"Sees some interesting colors?" He snaps round with a startled look on his face. I walk around him forcing him to turn around together with me, "do you know what the colors mean?" I start to walk away.