Disclaimer: AC characters belong to Ubisoft.
A/N: 9-10-09
I swear I haven't neglected you Fic! But yet, I am still not so happy. For those who have read this, I have taken and combined the second and third chapter. I hated the second before. Things are rushed and seemed thrown together. Frankly, I'm at a loss to figure out a way to make it better. But, instead of dwelling on the past, I am excited for what I have planned in the future, and should use that to push on. I apologize for choppiness, and grammar errors that might of escaped me.
Chapter Two:
Clarity
~*~
They were about half a days travel away from Masayf. The group made it to the closet village outside their home before night fall. Before the winter became even more dangerous. Altair made sure they found shelter quickly, he wasn't fond of the night. Like birds of prey, he felt uneasy, and not at his peak of ability in the darkness. Luckily, the assassin's found an ally to stay the night with. It was risky to enter an Inn, drawing the attention of Crusades stationed in the area.
Altair causally chatted with Rais, both wrapped in their own fleece blanket, watching the warm fire dance around in the darkness. Malik and Abyad had made themselves comfortable, writing back and forth to another by candlelight. Alain conversed with the man who opened his house to them, referring to him as friend, reminiscing over the days gone by. He took a deep breath, the scent lingering of a filling meal, the heat of the flames, both intoxicating and soothing.
"How do you think they'll take it?" Rais asked, eyes connecting with Altair.
Altair's brows rose. "Take what?"
"Malik being in charge. Is his one of the youngest, if not the youngest, to ever lead the guild." his dark eyes retreated to the flames. "I heard the leaders of Alamut wanted Alain to be in charge."
"I assume Alain declined?"
"Felt he was too old," he scratched his freshly shaved chin as a smile crept across his lips. "He's told me he sees so much promise in Malik. He was the right choice, the best candidate."
Altair gazed over his shoulder, Malik looked back him, seeming flushed from over hearing the complement. They both smiled at another, before breaking away. "I agree." he courtly replied. His smile turned uneasy, Altair sighed, disheartened. "I don't see why I've been chosen to help him lead as well. I've never been much of a leader. I've spent my life following orders. It wasn't until much recently I started making my own decisions." he took a deep breath, his head fell to the side, eyes softening on the flames. "Now this? It seems illogical, I don't feel like I'm a correct candidate for this."
"Malik has faith in you." Rais' hand relaxed on Altair's shoulder. He shook him gently, Altair found his touch amicable, very fatherly, he couldn't help but smile. "Learn to see that, and embrace it for yourself."
Altair nodded back. He felt uplifted just hearing Rais' words, his soothing touch. Rais had that affect on people. He had a fatherly, comforting air about him. The perfect person to confide in. Nothing could break his smile, even on the battlefield. Altair used to remember looking up to him for his skill. One time, before his pride had consumed him, he once admired Rais' attitude, and respect towards anyone he met. Part of him once wanted to be like that.
But faith, his eyes narrowed. That affirming comfort he felt from Rais' words, gave into the lingering uncertainty of the word. He had lived by faith, anyone who had seen him in action on the field knew that. Faith, he pondered harder, shoulders slumping drawing his knees to his chest. A Christian word, a Muslim word, a wonderful word. To trust what you can't see, but now that bothered him. His thoughts turning towards the Piece of Eden, imaging that dangerous golden ball, glistening with terrible temptation.
Rais suddenly jumped to his feet, the motion snapping Altair out of his trance. "Okay my children, time to go to bed. We've got the last leg of our journey to finish. And I want to get back home as fast as possible."
Abyad frowned, Malik patted his back. "He's right, let's get some sleep."
"Children?" Altair scoffed. "You aren't too much older than us."
"Yes, but you bachelors have yet to find the real joys that make life worthwhile. You're still but little boys in my eyes."
"Because we aren't married yet?" Malik chuckled, grabbing Abyad's arm lightly, hand at his ears. "I've heard women cut years off your lifespan."
~*~
Masayf was just like how he remembered it. Peaceful, but busy streets. Though, when he had left, brown, dried grass had covered the ground. Now there was snow, blanketing the ground, and lingering in the distance mountains that were his home's landscape. The blood red shawls of his brothers, brilliant, standing out as they patrolled about. Smoke loomed from the houses, billowing up to the gray skies. Malik took a deep breath, the cold stinging his lungs at first, but warm as he exhaled. It was good to finally be back home.
Malik's peaceful observation of his home was rudely interrupted by a sharp nudge from Altair. Malik shot him a quick glare, seeing Altair grinning wickedly at him. "What do you want?!" He snapped. Although afraid to find out what was going to come out of the man's mouth.
"There she is!" Altair exclaimed, pointing ahead, eying one particular face in the throng. Malik followed Altair's finger, "And looks like the parade of horses through the streets of Masayf has caught her attention, time to act Malik!"
Malik's usually composed face turned ghostly pale, white as the mane of his horse his gaze immediately darted to. He punched Altair in the shoulder, who just laughed. He didn't need to look up to know what Altair had sighted.
"And the sweet Nazahah is coming this way, and what a beautiful smile on her face!" his voice seemed to sing in a taunting manner. Altair had reared his horse to ride along side of Abyad, who shot him a glare for messing with Malik. "Her eyes are settled on you Malik, right Abyad?"
The blue eyed man nodded happily, shaking Malik's shoulder.
Malik silently cursed under his breath, then slowly looked up. All the people around them, waving, smiling, they all seemed to vanish. All he could see, in his mind, the most gorgeous woman in the world, briskly gliding her way through the crowd. He thought of her dark, deep, brown eyes had connected with his, and he prayed and yet, forsook the idea that she was smiling at him. Only him.
His stomached turned uncomfortably, a string of curse words flying through his mind. He tried to block out the thoughts of the possibly, Nazahah was only the most sought after single women in all of Masayf. He closed his eyes, recalling pages of text, reciting different works of literature, anything to block out the image of her to compose himself.
"You better talk to her, or I'm going to kick you." Altair threatened.
"Shut up before I throw my sword at you."
Rais jumped down from his horse, rushing to a particular woman in the crowd. He kissed her, and hugged her gently, for she was quite pregnant. Then, he picked up two little girls, spinning around with them in his arms. They laughed together, glowing blissfully in the dreary atmosphere.
"How lovely," Alain sighed disgustedly, rearing his horse to break away from the others, trotting on his own lonely path.
"Malik! Abyad!" Malik froze, listening to a beautiful voice sing above the noisy crowd. His horse seemed to stop dead in it's tracks. Nazahah stood there, smiling up at him, laughing as his horse rubbed his nose against her thick, wavy black hair. He felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. His hand started to shake nervously.
"Welcome home!" she greeted.
"Thank you!" Malik replied, Altair was close next to him, looming over his shoulder.
"Hey Nazahah!" he beamed, Malik pushed him away, scowling.
"Oh, sorry I didn't see you Altair!"
"That's just fine."
Her gaze turned to Abyad. "I made you a new coat," Abyad jumped down from his chestnut colored mare, giving Nazahah a quick hug, a brief arm over the shoulder, to show gratitude. "You should come over and get it! And Malik, I've made you a scarf! I'll have Abyad bring it to you!"
"Oh, thank you so much!" Malik replied, watching as Nazahah turned, dragging Abyad away. Altair taunted him, whispering in his friend's ear about the ridiculous size of the grin on his face.
Nazahah lived with her mother, a widow, both making their living by their--in his mind-- perfected skill of sewing. Nazahah would spend some afternoon's teaching other young, newly wed brides her trade. Her own mother, scolding her, believing she now was too old to marry, and would live the rest of her years miserable. Nazahah would just smile, but when did she never not smile, as her mother scolded her. She held firm to her belief, instead of rushing off to marry, but to wait.
Just more about her to admire.
"Competition?" Altair shyly said, eyes tracing Abyad's fading figure.
"No," Malik chuckled. "She treats him like he was her own little sister..." Altair eyebrows rose, baffled by what he heard.
~*~
Malik felt their hour long break fly by quickly. He and Altair left his house together, musing over the days to come.
Altair felt distracted, noticing how the snow turned to slush under his boots. The weather was growing warmer, not much longer and the harsh winter would end, and spring would be upon them. His eyes quickly met with the sky, watching as an eagle soared by in perfect timing. A new journey, a new mission for him was about to take place.
Yet, as winter ended, war would start up again once more. As Spring wisped her hands across the sleeping around, as the plains turned green, as flowers were born, life in the Holy Land would be populated with dead bodies.
The open, wintry scenery turned dim, encased in gray stone. He and Malik waved through the fortress, torch in his hand, watching their shadows follow them down the dark halls. It was quiet for today. Absent from the sound of men training, or scholars pacing around the library, discussing politics and philosophy with another.
Finally, at the room at the end of a hallway. Altair firmly shut the wooden door behind them. Rais and Abyad lit a few candles that lingered on the wooden table, providing more light. Only a few beams of light from the outside world managed to escaped through the windows.
Altair pulled out his chair, sitting down with a heavy sigh. It was the first time today he felt he had gotten to relax for more than a mere second. All he and Malik did on their previous break was unpack.
"So, Malik," he started, eyes shifting to the right, connecting with Malik, who sat at the head of the table. Malik watched as his friend's eyes turned playful. The leader smiled at Altair's excitement. "Finally, your secret agenda comes out."
"I hope I don't disappoint you, Altair."
"Frankly, me to. You've left me anticipating this moment for far too long."
Rais sat down next to Altair. Abyad wrapped a blanket around Alain's shoulders, the two shared a quick smile, before he took his seat next to him.
Altair focused on Malik. The book the other man held he recognized. It was one of the novels he had read back in the bureau, complete with his own annotations. Malik slid it across the table to him. Altair caught it, examining it carefully.
"Altair, what did you read about in this book?"
"Moses," his head snapped up. He first looked at Malik, and then his focus shifted around the table. "The story of trying to liberate his people. The plagues, the parting of the Red Sea. His and the Jews struggle in the wildness."
"What gave him the power to part the Sea? The Plagues?" Malik asked.
"A staff I believe, given to him by God."
Malik's fingers lingered on another book. His focus on Abyad. He recognized the book as well as it slid to him. "Abyad, what did you read about?"
They gave him a second to jot his thoughts down, Alain cleared his throat. "This account was about an Israelite, named Samson. Apparently an Angel told his mother, that he was to be a Nazrite. I'm not to entirely sure of what that means...but at the time, the Israelites lived under the rule of the Philistines. Samson had amazing strength, and fought and killed many Philistines."
Another book skited across the table. "Noah," Rais took no time to be addressed. "If I think I know where you're getting at Malik, the unique thing about this man, was how long he lived. Far greater than the lifespan of a man in our time."
Malik smiled to his response. He stood up, fingers stilled lingering on the table. As he walked, they caressed the edges, "Thank you all for your studying. These stories we have read, about these Christian men, who have worked miracles in the name of their God. They all have some unique, special ability that sets them apart, given to them by their deity. Moses, a man who could part a sea, and bring forth terrible plagues down to Earth. But, what gave him this power? A staff."
Altair rubbed his chin, an idea popping into his mind. "Al Mualim, when talking about the Piece of Eden, he mentioned that being a mere illusion. The parting of the sea, water to wine, the miracles men had worked." a sudden pain pricked his stomach. He remembered the time that very man sunk his dagger into his flesh. It might have been a mere illusion, but the pain was real.
Malik's grin quickly returned. "Yes, Altair. The Piece within our possessions has such powers as that." He paced back to his seat, pulling up a larger piece of parchment. Sketched out was the recognizable shape of a continents, countries, dotted with different markings, ink notes chaotically scribbled throughout the paper.
"As you might remember Altair, the moment after which you defeated Al Mualim."
"*The Piece, it opened a map. Of what we can guess is all of Earth, or part of Earth?"
"I looked at it with Alain. We identified many countries. France, Greece, Italy, many more. The golden dots lingering on the map, we have but one conclusion to what they must be."
"More Pieces of Eden." Altair replied, quietly in awe.
"Brother," Abyad held a piece of paper in the air. Again the group waited patiently. "You're concluding that stories passed down from ancient times. Men, working in the name of God, the miracles they achieved were brought on by the powers of different Pieces of Eden?" Alain stopped, Abyad reaching over to write down a few more lines. "I wonder if the Templars have caught on to this. Just the fact, more of these Artifacts exist..."
Rais smirked, leaning back in his chair, arms relaxed behind his head. "And this is where our next mission begin."
"I've researched that one of the Pieces might be in Bethlehem. I want you Rais, and Altair to go down their and investigate. Alain, Abyad, and I will remain here, getting things reorganized, and finding the locations of more Pieces."
*So about the location of the Pieces of Eden. I actually found a screenshot of that moment in the game where the map is opened. A few of the locations I had in mind are actually not on that map.
But, since this is fanfic. I'm bending the rules a bit. Hope y'all don't mind.