Five Years Later
At twelve years of age, Selene had grown fully accustomed to living with Mr. and Mrs. Grieves in their large estate.
Over the years, she had went through drastic changes and so had her life. The first week of her stay with her new family had proven to be a challenge. She had expected to be placed in public school like a normal child would be, but apparently her parents had other ideas. They had hired a private teacher so that she could learn at home, so contact with other children would be minimal unless they had business soirees that allowed them.
Not that it mattered. Selene had preferred to be around adults more than children considering how different she was from children her age. Instead of playing with dolls, she read books. Instead of playing outside in the rain with a raincoat and boots to match, she practiced instruments and painted. She was never forced to choose between the two; she just liked doing these things better.
Her favorite thing to do of all was painting and that would never change. She loved to divulge in the art of creativity and drawing and painting helped her do this. Sure, she loved other things just as the next person, but painting was something that allowed her to travel out of her element, if not for a little while.
Her father (she resorted to calling them mother and father, more for their sakes then hers) was always called to work away from home so he never truly had the time to witness her express herself on a canvas. Luckily, her mother did her work from home, so she spent as much time as she could with her daughter without skipping her duties. She always complimented Selene on her beautiful drawings, even more so when she completed them by adding a touch of color.
"You are a natural." She gushed proudly, patting the girl on her head affectionately. "If this truly calls to you, maybe you should pursue this as a career in the future."
She thought about it, really she did. Even now, thinking back on her mother's words, she continued to think about it. Despite her love for her hobby, she wanted to have more time to consider her profession when she was older. She was only twelve, after all.
Today was a rainy day, something that prevented Selene from going outside and painting the gardens like she usually did. So she improvised, setting up her canvas next to her bedroom window to look out and paint a dreary scene. But no matter how long she sat there and stared while the pitter-patter of rain tapped the glass, she couldn't find the motivation to start drawing.
Today's just not the day. She sighed to herself, picking herself up out of her seat and nearing her vanity. She took in her reflection: strawberry brown hair with a set of teal eyes that stared back at her, a slim nose with full lips and a small dash of barely existent freckles on her cheeks that occupied an angular face. She thought she looked a little old to be her age, but she wasn't complaining. That only added to her persona. The only way you could tell that she was twelve was her slowly aging, pre-teen body and her miniscule height of five feet.
She still had a lot of growing to do.
Patience is a virtue.
A knock sounded at her door, making her turn and look over her shoulder as it opened to find her mother standing on the other end. She noticed Selene standing off-putted next to her vanity, a small frown marring her face at the action.
"Something the matter, darling?" she asked the brunette softly, arching a blonde brow. Selene shook her head, turning her full attention towards her mother.
"No, mother. I just can't find it in me to paint today." She said honestly, running her hands through her elbow-length tresses. She tilted her head at her mother, briefly wondering why she had stopped by. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?"
"Yes, actually." The woman's frown turned up slightly into a small smile, opening the door wider so that both of them could fit through it. "There's someone here who wants to see you." She hinted mischievously, her blue eyes lighting up.
Selene found herself taking in her mother's apparel. Instead of her usual skirt-suit, she was wearing a green cashmere sweater with a black scarf and a pair of comfortable jeans. That was rare for her, even on her lazy days.
And then she remembered. She only wore those types of clothes when certain people came over. A grin broke out on her face.
That meant he had come over.
She raced past her mother in delight, taking note of her warning not to sprint in the house as she trudged quickly but carefully down the stairs and into the family room where she knew he'd be waiting.
Once she saw a tall, raven-haired male come into view, she zipped over to him before he could acknowledge her and she tackled his form into a hug. That shocked him, but he was quick to catch them before they could go toppling over.
"Woah—Okay, okay! Easy, Selene." He laughed, collecting the pre-teen into his arms and spinning her before depositing her back onto her feet. His hazel eyes softened at the sight of her and he gave her a dazzling smile, one that would make all the ladies swoon around him.
Selene being one of them.
"I missed you, Cameron." The words came out as an excited squeal. She realized that she sounded like a school girl pining after her crush, but she couldn't help it. Cameron and his family rarely visited, but when they did, she spent as much time as possible with him in fear of not seeing him again.
It wasn't his fault, however.
Cameron was something that people called a child genius when he was younger, a prodigy of sorts. She wasn't on the same level as he was when he was her age, but she was nearly there. But instead of being schooled at home like she was, he had been sent to one of the most prestigious schools in the area to further his studies.
It didn't matter to her. He was brilliant no matter what he did.
At just seventeen years old, Cameron had received a full-fledged scholarship to Harvard, making it extremely hard for him to be away for long. Whenever he could get time away, he would visit her for as long as possible. And that would never change.
Ever since they had met (Selene had been eight and afraid of him due to his towering height), the two had been attached to the hip like peas in a pod. Cameron had found her drawing outside in the old oak tree that stood next to the horse stables, her dominant hand scribbling away while she held her lip between her teeth in concentration. He had been told to introduce himself to the little lady, the declaration not surprising him as he strived to do so. He was without siblings—not that he had the time to play with them if he had them—so it would have been interesting to meet someone that could potentially be his friend.
He understood that she was young, a lot younger than he was, but was told that she was a polite and smart child who he would get along with easily. He took his chances with what his family told him, making his way over to the girl and clearing his throat to gain her attention. She instantly jumped at the noise, digging her fingers into the tree and dropping her pencil and notebook onto the ground.
Cameron blinked, curious at why she showed such a reaction when he hadn't even said anything. "Hello." He spoke slowly, trying not to spook the girl in case her grip wasn't strong and she herself would fall out of the tree. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Selene looked at him warily, her expression betraying her thoughts as she replied meekly, "You didn't scare me. I was surprised, that's all."
The boy nodded his head, trying not to smirk as he leaned down and collected her drawings from the vibrant grass. He could hear a sharp intake of breath as his eyes scanned the paper, carefully taking in the art that she created. For someone so young, she was abundantly talented.
Her drawing was of the horse pasture next to them. There were a few horses grazing here and there while there was another drawing of a stallion with his ears up, but the rest of his body had yet to be finished. She had him set proportionately while he stood, shaded in the correct areas while he could see the marks of her pencil where she had lightly pressed into the paper.
"These are fantastic, Selene." He complimented her, reaching up so that she could grab her book back. Her cheeks flushed at the praise.
"Thank you." She muttered embarrassedly, wanting to find more words but having none for him. Her brain did a backflip to his earlier words. He had known her name? How? "You know my name?" she suddenly asked, placing her notebook down beside her and watching him look up at her from the ground. Cameron nodded, going on to explain how his and her families knew each other and how they had told him lots about her.
She only flushed more when he did. No one had really been interested so much in her before, so she couldn't help but feel flattered. She realized that she didn't even know his name yet and she hoped that wasn't insulting to him.
"Forgive me." He apologized, reaching a hand up to her in greeting. "I didn't tell you my name. I'm Cameron. Cameron Firenze." Once they gripped hands for a firm shake, he smiled. "Nice to meet you."
Hearing that name struck a chord in her, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it before. She wondered if she had heard it somewhere in history when she was learning with her teacher. Cameron had a slight accent that came through when saying it, and she identified it as Italian. She tried to scroll through her mind of all the prestigious family names in Italy in the past. The Italian Renaissance was a time with many noble families that—
"Firenze…" she stopped her trail of thought, whispering to herself as she still held the grip of her new acquaintance. Of course! It all made sense now. She let go of his hand, nearly startling the boy when she slipped out of the tree gracefully to land on her feet below. She turned hastily towards him peering into his face with curious abandon.
"Uh…"
"Your full name." she spoke, cutting him off. "It's not just Firenze, is it?"
Cameron blanched, feeling shock roll over his body at her prodding voice. How did she know?
Instead of denying it like he was supposed to, he found that she was no harm to him. Her family was extremely close to his and he didn't think she would run around like a headless chicken spewing off his family name. She hardly left the estate to do that.
"Very clever, moon child." He joked, referring to her own name. She smirked at that, something he rarely saw on a child's face. "Yes, you're correct. My full name is Cameron Auditore de Firenze."
She knew it! She thanked her teacher for keeping her so historically informed.
"You're a descendant of the Auditore house in Italy!" she exclaimed in awe. Being a remaining family member, especially so far into the twentieth century, was an amazing feat. Usually lines dissipated a few hundred years after being formed, but this family was anything but. The line stayed firm and even if they branched out, someone would still carry on the family name. "That's so…so…"
"Cool?" he finished cheekily, placing a hand on his hip. He tried not to appear smug, but the girl just kept adding onto his ego. He found that he quite liked it.
Selene laughed. "Not the word I was going for, but that works."
Cameron found himself laughing with her. He knew that they would have a friendship that would carry on for as long as they knew each other. He liked that idea. He stretched his arm out to the little lady. "Want to walk with me?" he asked, trying to appear charming for Selene. The brunette rolled her eyes at his antics. She could tell that this boy was going to be a handful.
"Certainly, good sir." She played it out with him, looping her arm with his and trudging back to the house, her notebook left behind in the tree to continue later.
She had finally found a friend.
.
.
.
.
"Helloooo? Earth to Selene?"
The memory faded from her mind when Selene realized Cameron had been calling her name, trying to shake her from her stupor. She was still holding onto him, and he had his hands on her shoulders having the audacity to look confused.
"Sorry. What were you saying?" she chirped, releasing him from her hug. His smile returned full force, causing her to mimic the action. He turned on his heel, making his way towards the couch and slumping down on it.
"I said," he versed again, opening his arms in welcome to her. "That I missed you too."
"Of course you did." She snorted, crossing her arms and shooting him down with a mock glare. "I've called and written you what, six or seven times in the past two weeks? Seems you're too busy to talk to your best friend. Wait," she gasped in fake horror, placing her hands on her cheeks and giving him her best puppy eyes. "You've replaced me, haven't you! Oh, the betrayal!"
"What?! No I haven't!" He snapped, launching out of his seat towards her and falling to his knees in front of her. This way, they saw eye to eye on the same level. "You are still and always will be my best friend, moon child."
Selene wanted to snicker. He was too gullible. One advantage that she had over him was that he couldn't bear to see her sad. Had she even gave one pout or whimper, he was all over her like a mother hen. It was quite empowering.
The mischievous girl broke out into a smile, tapping his cheek thoughtfully. "I know. I was just kidding."
Cameron snorted, pinching her side and standing up to his full height once again. "Little brat," he joked affectionately. "Now you're definitely not getting your gift."
That made her pause. "Gift?" she asked incredulously, her jaw dropping when he turned his back and looked around the room. Anywhere but her, apparently. "Hey, don't ignore me!" she punched his back, making sure not to hurt him. It wasn't like she could, though. He was like a brick wall.
"Sorry, were you saying something?" he copied her from earlier, making her cheeks heat up angrily at his mockery. Oh, he thought he was just soo funny, didn't he? Well then, fine. If he would act like that, then she didn't care to know.
"I guess I'll just go upstairs then." She warned lightly, taking slow and calculated steps towards the nearest exit. She knew he couldn't keep up his charade for long, so she continued until he would cave in.
When she made it to the doorway, Cameron let out a loud sigh that showed his frustration. "Fine, fine. I give up," he turned to her, raising his hands in defeat. She stopped immediately, giving him a cheeky grin in return. She knew he couldn't last that long. Poor guy.
"Now will you tell me about this 'gift'?" she asked slyly, placing her hands on her hips and leaning towards him.
Thankfully, he nodded and waved a sun-kissed hand towards the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. "Right this way, your highness." The teenager chuckled, and Selene gave a mock curtsey before strutting over and placing her arm in his, just like when they were younger.
"Away we go, then."
(~0~)
Selene never considered herself the violent type.
Especially with her hobbies and interests, violence was never key to her and she always thought with her brain rather than her fists. It proved to work, too.
Most of the time.
Her gift was something that she had never thought of using, but upon first release, she fell in love. The wilder side of her squealed in delight as she continued to play with her new toy.
"Raise your elbow a little higher. You'll have better aim that way." Cameron instructed her.
Selene nodded, raising her bow and positioning the arrow so that it would likely hit the target. It was a western bow that was carved from cherry wood and plated in iron so she had better grip. There was a type of beautiful seal placed up and down the bow, a bit unusual but she liked it anyway.
She took a deep breath, just like Cameron had instructed her to do so that her body reduced its natural shake. Time slowed for her as she took slow, measured breaths and looked at her target. She only focused on the point in the middle and nowhere else.
She released.
And missed completely.
What happened? Was her grip not firm enough? Slippery? The rain had dimmed to a sprinkle, so she was hardly wet at all. That couldn't of been it.
Her shoulders slumped. Was it really that hard?
Cameron laughed at her disappointed face, patting her shoulder gently. "No one gets it on their first try." He coaxed her to raise the bow again. "You have the right idea going for you. Now all you have to do utilize it to the best of your ability."
She raised her bow again, waiting before pulling tightly on the string and holding her breath. She would get it right this time. She wouldn't let aim deficiency beat her. "Picture the target as something large and easy to hit. Focus on that spot and then release."
"Okay."
Breathe. Aim. Pull.
Before she could release, however, something she would never understand happened to her vision. It was as if she was looking through a thermos scope. The colors shined blue and gold before dissipating as quickly as they came. It was strange, but something she would dwell on later.
Focus, Carmichael. Focus.
Release.
It didn't hit dead center like she wanted it to, but it was close. Outside the edge of the inner circle.
That was enough, for now. She would practice more and hopefully get it right when she had the time.
Cameron seemed happy for her, though. That gave her a slight confidence boost. "Practice makes perfect, little moon. It took me a bit to get it too."
"What else can you do?" she rose an eyebrow. "Fly?"
"Hardy-har-har." He pretended to laugh, messing her hair up into a frizz-like state. Selene slapped his hands away, growling at him in an unladylike fashion. He brought the best out of her and the worst.
That part was the worst, in this occurrence.
"I've got to leave soon."
Aaaand there went her good mood.
The brunette snapped her head in his direction, gripping her bow tightly in subdued anger. It was always like this. He visited her for a few hours, joked around with her some, and then left at the end of the day. She understood that he had important things to do, but would it kill him to at least try and talk to her more than once a month?
"Please don't look at me that way." He sighed, moving to comfort her somehow. He knew she would act like this. She always did when he got ready to leave. "You know that I'd stay longer—"
"Would you?" her voice held no emotion. She didn't know what she felt anymore.
"Of course I would! I would choose to live here if I could, Selene."
"You don't even make an effort to call me anymore!" she snapped hotly, tossing the bow on the ground in the process so she could direct her fury onto him. "Is this why you bought me a bow? So that I would be distracted and forget about the fact that you don't even want to talk to me anymore?!"
"Selene—"
"No!" she bit out, taking a step away from him. He was too close, too close and suffocating her. She couldn't breathe around him. Her only friend didn't want her anymore. The air was sucked from her lungs. Never before had she felt such pain. Not even when she was beaten by the other orphan when she was seven.
"Stop interrupting me, dammit!" Cameron barked, and in the blink of an eye he gripped her small shoulders. Not enough to hurt her, just enough to make her see. He could tell that his outburst shocked her, maybe even scared her a little bit. He had never cursed at her before. But this was important. "Give me a chance to explain myself, please." He almost begged, letting her arms go and giving them a gentle rub.
"Go on, then. Explain." She muttered, looking down and clenching her fists.
"Over dinner?"
Her eyes widened, looking up to meet his. He never stayed that long, so why did he suggest dinner? "W-What?"
"Dinner. Let me take you out to dinner." He said slowly, just so she could comprehend what he was asking. It was a long stretch, but Selene loved food; what better way to explain to her then over eating her favorite foods?
Selene couldn't quite comprehend, though. Was he asking her out on a date? Her, of all people? The thought made her feel a little disturbed. She loved him, and yes he was good looking, but he was like her brother. How could he hold any romantic feelings towards her?!
When the ravenette saw the look on her face, his own tanned skin paled to an almost sickly color. "God, no! I didn't mean like—like that!" his face flushed and he felt sweat trickle down his back. "You're like my sister, for god's sake!"
Selene let out a relieved breath. "Thank goodness for that." She laughed awkwardly, her anger forgotten momentarily. "Fine. I'll go. But this better be good, or I swear I'll—"
"Please, don't threaten me. You're scary as it is." He whined like a child, feeling a little better that she wasn't chewing him out like before. "We better make good time. Let's leave now." He suggested, scurrying away to the house so she couldn't say anything to change her own mind. "And don't forget to tell your mom."
(~0~)
"So, you're not majoring in law anymore?"
"Nope."
"And you're not going to Harvard? You're going to college in the United Kingdom?"
"Yes." Cameron answered again, moving his fork around his plate and scooping some pasta onto it. "Oxford. And that's why I can't call you as much."
"Because their services are different from ours and long distance is hard to come by." It was a statement, not a question. She kept her voice lower to be polite to the other customers eating in the Italian restaurant. Cameron had done well; she loved Italian food. But she was so engrossed in their conversation that she hardly touched her tortellinis.
"Unfortunately." He replied sheepishly, taking a sip of water and clearing his throat before continuing. "And there's only so many places I can go to get a phone that calls oversees. Not to mention that I barely have enough time to talk as it is." His expression fell, and she saw the genuine guilt he bore for her. "Please believe me. I want to talk to you more, really I do. In fact, as soon as I get back I'm going to buy an all new computer that we can video chat on. That way I don't have to use the phone and we can even see each other. How does that sound?"
Selene listened, taking in his every word. Why hadn't they thought of this sooner? She had a laptop already, but it didn't have a webcam. Not many people used that sort of thing, they weren't very popular unless you uploaded a video of yourself to YouTube or something. But she liked the idea.
"As long as you'll try to contact me every chance you get." She scolded lightly, a small smile playing on her lips. As always, she couldn't stay mad. Not at him.
"You have my promise. I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you."
"How about more archery lessons?" she teased, poking him with the end of her fork. That brought a chuckle from him, making him retaliate by flicking her forearm. Playful banter that she hoped would never diminish as they grew older. He was her rock. And she would do everything in her power to keep it that way.
Later that night, Cameron had to say his goodbyes as he set back off to England the next day. She bid him off with a smile instead of a frown, taking him up on his promise of camming with her when he had the time. He then told her that he expected her to practice her archery in his absence, which she jokingly put that she would move slowly in baby steps to progress.
It was enough for him.
When he was finally gone, Selene felt the fatigue hit her like a bag of bricks and she decided to go to sleep before she fell flat on her face. She did her usual routine of braiding her hair back and dressing in comfortable sleepwear before retiring to her heaven-sent bed.
As soon as her head hit the pillow, she blacked out into a dream-filled sleep.
As soon as she began to dream, her mind set her out on a platform of a landscape. Tall, cathedral like buildings were placed around her, buildings that appeared to be hundreds of years old. She stood on a balcony of one, looking out to see the huts and merchant stands placed around the city. Yep, this place was old. It already appeared that way without the dirty look and feel to it.
When she heard movement to the side of her, she turned her head to see a person standing out on a platform. The physique was definitely male, and he wore stark white robes with a red sash around his waist. She was appalled; how could he wear something so warm when it was this hot out? It also didn't help that he had various weapons strapped to his form, most likely weighing him down on his small wooden step. Her heart plummeted a bit. He could fall if he wasn't careful!
A bird passed her view, circling the tower around them as she stared at him. He didn't seem to notice her, only the bird as it screamed into the afternoon sky. She recognized that cry. It was an eagle.
She also noticed that the man was nearing the very end of the step, almost as if he wanted to jump off. That frightened her. He'd die! Was he insane?!
"Hey, what are you doing?!" she kept her voice down, but she couldn't keep the alarm from lacing it as she called to him. The man didn't say anything, but he did turn to look at her. His face had been covered by his hood, but she could see the faint trace of a strong, stubbled jaw and full lips that harbored a vertical scar on them. That didn't catch her like his eyes though. His eyes were a shocking gold, glinting dangerously in the light while the rest of him was shadowed like a ghost.
She mentally punched herself in fear of voicing her appreciation of the man's attractiveness. Now was not the time, he was beginning to scare her with his fierce look and tense body. He was going to jump.
Oh, hell. Twelve years old and I'm thinking of a man that's probably twice my age. What's wrong with me?!
"Look, I know times can be tough…" she began warily, watching him and preparing herself to somehow catch his arm if he tried anything. "But you don't have to do this to yourself. Just, come down. It will be okay."
God, I can't believe I'm giving someone suicide talk! This is crazy!
He still didn't say anything. Instead, his lips twitched the slightest bit, imitating a small smirk that only irked her. Why was he amused?! This meant certain death for him if he jumped!
The eagle in the sky gave its shrill cry again. The man turned towards it, watching it drift farther away from the tower before looking down.
And then, he jumped.
.
.
.
Selene jolted awake in her bed, clutching her chest as she tried to regain her breath. The dream had felt so real. In fact, it felt too real. Like she had traveled back in time to witness a man's death for a short while in the blazing heat. It unnerved her to no end.
But still, she could remember the piercing gaze of the stranger's eyes and that small smirk he had given her before he jumped. His arms were spread wide, like a pair of wings preparing for flight as he leaped off of the step and plummeted down from there.
He appeared to be so brave. Why wasn't he afraid of his demise? Of his death? She knew she would have been.
The morning sun poked through her window, the rays shifting over her bedspread and floors in an orange-red color. It was beautiful, a better outcome to yesterday's rain. She noticed that her canvas was still next to the window, perfectly blank and waiting for her to begin another masterpiece on.
She stood up, bedhead and all, and slumped over to the chair in front of it and sat down. Yes. This time she had her motivation. So she began with simple pencil strokes, adding harshness in certain places while adding light curves in others.
She didn't stop until she was completely done.
After she had finished her drawing, she decided to start painting the next day. It was already midday, and she had yet to eat something and clean herself up. Standing from her seat and arching her back into a much needed stretch, she threw a small sheet over the canvas and headed towards her bathroom for a desired shower.
She didn't know that once she was out of sight, the sheet slipped off of the drawing, forgotten on the floor. The form of the man in her dream looked out into the desert city, his proud form raised high onto the step as the very same eagle circled his tower. Both from different worlds, but under the same sky.
(~0~)
A/N: Did you like it? Please review and follow if you did. It gives me motivation to continue!
I'm happy that a few people have already favorited and followed! I didn't expect it at all, especially when hardly anyone writes an Altair fanfiction anymore. I started with Altair and I would end with Altair. Guess I'm too much of a fangirl (;
Again, I hoped you all enjoyed. See you in the next one!
~M
