Deception

Just when she thought she was free from Altair's grasp, when she came out from the water on the other side of the iron gate, another man waiting for her on the other side, surrounded by a group of guards from the city and they were armed and ready to attack.

"Well now, if it isn't Fiorenza de Forsythe. How glad I am that you so narrowly escaped Altair."

Fiorenza tried to keep afloat as she simply replied, "So he is Altair."

"Correct." The man answered. "And just in case you didn't notice, you have nowhere to go now. You will be coming with me…" grinning brightly "…to Masyaf." She gasped a she realized that the man was wearing red robes with the creed's clan symbol on the back of it.

"And you must be Caleb." She stated with much distain.

"Ah, so you do know of who I am. Jedidiah must have informed you well."

She scoffed back, "Yes, in fact he did." She finally climbed out of the water as Caleb's guards were quick to grab hold of her as she gritted her teeth from her wounded arm being squeezed. Caleb walked up to her with an arrogant stance. "So it seems he got to you after all. Lucky for us, he didn't kill you yet."

"What do you mean lucky? Al Mualim ordered Altair to assassinate me."

He chuckled before responding, "Yes indeed, but he ordered Altair to assassinate you, but he sent us to capture you first long before he sent Altair. I must say you were not easy to track down even though you stick out like a black wolf amongst sheep, but Altair lead you right into my grasp and I didn't even have to break a sweat." She gritted her teeth in anger.

"You were watching the entire time?!"

He laughed.

"You could say that, but enough chit chat. It is time you faced Al Mualim." She struggled slightly against the guards as they pushed and dragged her along to a caged carriage that was meant to lock her up.

"Wait a minute, what about Altair?" Caleb turned to face her as they placed her inside the caged carriage.

"What about Altair?" She was puzzled with his response, but then she realized that this was all a set up.

"Wait a minute…all of this…was to lure him away…so that he would not be witness to what was really planned for me! You son of a…"

"…I'm so glad within your infinite wisdom that you understand. Your death will be less confusing now."

The door on the cage was locked up tight as she yelled one last final say, "It must be so liberating to be a Templar spy and ruining the lives of people who are just trying to create peace within the land!"

Caleb stopped for a moment before mounting upon his horse, "There is nothing liberating about what assassin's do. You seek to end lives."

"Yes, and while Templars seek to manipulate and mindlessly control them! Where is the peace in that?" She retorted.

"Don't worry, this conflict you have within yourself will soon be put to rest, but that will be for Al Mualim to decide."

"You won't get away with this!" She threatened. The carriage man began to steer the carriage off as Caleb followed on horseback.

"You are hardly in a position to threaten, girl. It's too bad I didn't get to see Altair dig his dagger into your heart."

Seeing how foolish it was to banter with Caleb further, she kept silent for the rest of the ride. She checked her pouch to make sure her brother's letter was still fairly intact and it was. And as planned, Altair was left behind under the notion that he was still looking for his target as he scurried about the city waiting for her to reappear when she never would.

-Masyaf Headquarters-

Fiorenza was roughly escorted to the Brotherhood's sanctuary where Al Mualim laid in wait. She was brought before him as two guards kept hold of her arms and had her upon her knees as Al Mualim paced back in forth with a sword in his hand. He made sure to have Malik present and Caleb by his side as he put on his charade.

"Justice will be found today whether you decide to repent or not. Your treachery is at an end, Fiorenza de Forsythe, spy for the Templars."

"There is no justice in your actions or words. You lead these people astray, corrupted by power and corrupted ambitions! You may have sent Altair off to target down each of the Templar leaders, but that was just so you could gain control of both parties!"

Al Mualim shook his head in protest as he so easily dismissed her claims.

"The Templars have truly twisted your heart and mind with such conspiracies. Robert de Sable must think highly of you for sending you on a mission to kill me."

She seemingly belted out in reply, "WHAT?!"

"You are quite an actress to making it appear as if you are not sided with the Templars. Many have tried to claim my intentions of not seeking peace, and you are merely one of them, but I saw through their lies and I also see through yours. I will give you one last chance to confess or so help me child, I will rip that heart from your chest!"

"Really?! And where is this so called evidence that shows that I am the Templar spy? Are these men simply to go on your word?!"

"Well yes, child. Because I have proven my trust to them, time and time again. I who have taken them in and given them a home filled with peace and tranquility. I, who trained them to fend for themselves and to protect their brothers in arms I, who have time and time again shown how corrupt the ways of the Templars are and how they have affected the lives of others and with legit reasoning to take them down."

She growled in anger, "That is a matter of opinion!"

Al Mualim snapped back, "No! It is a matter of fact! Malik would agree and so would Altair."

"Altair would not agree. He doesn't trust you as much as you claim!" She retorted.

"Enough of this nonsense! If you wanted evidence proving you to be the Templar spy we have been trying to hunt down? Well here it is, a letter from your brother exclaiming of how you have been sent on a mission from Robert de Sable to kill me."

Fiorenza laughed full heartedly, knowing of how much of a joke this all was, but as Al Mualim began to read this so called letter, no one seemed to be in objection to it. What was she to do now?

Malik was standing near her as she spoke in a softer whisper as Al Mualim was distracted with walking around and reading the letter.

"Malik, listen to me. This is not all what it seems. Al Mualim has a piece of Eden. It's a device that has powers to manipulate the minds of men. You have to believe me!"

Malik paid no heed to her words as he stood cold and silently, but her words were indeed being heard.

"I am not the Templar spy. There is something much bigger going on that goes beyond just us. I have no intention of wanting to kill Al Mualim and neither did I have any intention of fighting Altair when he came after me."

Malik suddenly shot a gaze at her as he whispered back, "Altair was sent after you?" He asked.

Bingo

She found a loophole. It seems Malik was completely uninformed of this as he assumed Altair was already on his mission to assassinate Robert de Sable.

"Yes. He was sent to assassinate me, but Caleb was sent beforehand and got to me first to bring me here. I have so much more to tell you, but…"

"…that is enough out of you!" Al Mualim belted out as he held his sword at her throat.

"I did what I could to save you child, but only God can save you now." He stated as he slowly lifted up his sword to position it to strike as she cried out.

"Malik! Nothing is true, everything is permitted…as long as he has that piece of Eden."

And then with one final strike, Al Mualim came crashing down with his sword, but with a hard thrust of her upper torso, she managed to yank herself to the side, pulling one of the guards with her as the sword came crashing down on his arm, cutting it clean off. Blood spewed and cries yelled out as Fiorenza broke free of her hold and she jumped on the ledge behind her and landed upon the ground beneath the double stairway as it was a clear shot to the entrance of the building.

"After her!" Al Mualim cried out, as Caleb was quick to lead a group of assassins after her. She was a quick runner though and not easy to catch up to as she dashed down the road that passed the training circle and then under the overpass of the final entrance to the headquarters as she bolted into the smaller town of Masyaf. She narrowly dodged nearby guards as they tried to grab her, but she finally made it to a nearby ledge that was a perfect leap of faith as she jumped over the side and plummeted to the haystack below.

It wouldn't be long before the brotherhood would be upon her as she was quick to leave the haystack and continue onward. She ran past a building and was going to cut a corner, but the second she stepped foot around the corner, something grabbed her from behind and pulled her into the shadows of the building inside and guards ran by trying to find her. Her mouth was covered to keep her from speaking and an arm was wrapped around her stomach to keep her pinned. And then a voice spoke softly into her ear.

"Do not be alarmed. I'm here to help you."

Her body relaxed a bit more under the man's grasp as more guards ran by.

"I…am Altair."

She turned her head slightly in response as he pulled her further away from the light of the windows and brought her into a dark shadowed corner.

"I'm not exactly sure why, but I believe you now. I hid amongst the shadows as I listened to what you were trying to refute against my master. Although I have no proof, I don't suspect you to be a Templar spy. One thing I know for sure however, if you were a Templar, you would have killed me during our fight. You are a skilled assassin and there were multiple openings you could have taken to kill me, but you did not. You were right; I do not trust my master, at least not as much as our people do. I suspect there is something he is not telling me. I know you have much to tell me, but there is no time for that right now. I will give you one chance to prove yourself to me so I suggest you heed my words well. Do you still have the letters from your brother that you wished me to look over?"

She nodded nervously as she slowly reached into her belt pouch and gave them to him. There was no time for him to read over them so he stashed them away in his own belt.

"Nothing further can be explained. Forgive me."

And then suddenly a horrible numbing painful pressure shot through her side as blood began to seep through her black robes. Altair had disengaged his hidden blade. He gently lowered her to the ground and held her as she gasped from the sudden pain. She clutched tightly upon his arm and chest as his gaze was soft and solemn. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt a woman in such a way.

"Do not be afraid. I have not hit any vital organs, but if I am to take your body to Al Mualim, it has to look convincing that you are dead."

Without much thought or theory, whatever Altair had planned, she had trust in him that killing her was not part of his plans.

"Please…" she muttered in gasping breaths "…don't…leave." He locked his gaze with hers as silent tears rolled down her face.

"I will stay with you until you fall unconscious. Then I will patch your wounds. I'm sorry, but this was the only way."

She smiled slightly as her body began to tremble and her vision began to tunnel. She gently lifted one hand and brought it to Altair's face. She softly touched the scar that sat upon his lips as he gasped slightly, but then let her cup his face as she gently brushed back his hood.

"I sense…you are a…good man. I-I...I wish I could have met you before."

"As do I." He admitted as she gently stroked his face, feeling its texture, softness, and warmth.

Despite his stiff exterior, and cold hard tone, his touch was surprisingly gentle as he held her. His skin was smooth, his hair of a very short cut. His eyes were of a golden brown and there was a hint of a mustache.

"The ways of the Fidelio clan have always interested me. I look forward to seeing your brother." She smiled lightly as suddenly her hand became limp and her head fell to the side as she blacked out. It was time. His plan was set in motion as he was quick to dress her wounds from bleeding further before bringing her to Al Mualim. As he came out from the building, he left the unconscious Fiorenza hidden inside and out of sight, the guards ran up to him as Caleb approached.

"Altair…you have…returned?" Altair narrowed his gaze at Caleb, not trusting him in the least. "You seem surprised. I was ordered to assassinate her and when I realized she was no longer in the city I immediately set out to target her here. I caught her trying to escape as it seemed she was on the run so I caught her by surprise and killed her." He presented the white dove feather that was stained with her blood as well as blood upon his bracer. He didn't question her being dead from the clear blood that was on Altair and so he escorted Altair to Al Mualim.

"So, you have returned. And have finished your mission no doubt."

"It is done as requested." He presented the feather once more and placed it upon Al Mualim's desk. "I caught her just as she was trying to run out from the city."

"So it seems. Very well then. The Templar spy has finally been silenced and you are now free to hunt down Robert de Sable as you please."

"Yes my master." He said, bowing in respect, but he quietly walked up to Malik, placing a hand on his shoulder as he whispered into his ear.

"I need you to follow me, we have much to discuss." Malik furrowed his eyebrows, "Funny you say that because I have much to say as well." Malik followed Altair to the building where he left Fiorenza. She was still knocked out cold as she was gently laid upon the floor. Malik looked in surprise as he shot his gaze back at Altair.

"What is the meaning of this Altair?" Altair glared coldly back at him as he replied, "Do not pretend that her words did not reach you as well. Look, I don't know if everything she says is to be true, but she is not a Templar. Take a look at these papers she gave me from her brother. During our fight she stated that it was specifically to me. I have not read them yet." he said as he brought out the letters, still damp from her jumping into the water. Malik took the letter in hand as they both read along.

Dear Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad,

It has come to my attention that we have all been gravely deceived. I very strongly suspect that Al Mualim used to be a Templar. I have no proof of this, but how else would he have such vast knowledge on all the Templar leaders, how many there are, and their way of beliefs? I know you deeply trust your master as he has been the assassin leader for so long, but he too is but human just like you and just like me. He too can fall under the corruption of power. He holds possession of an artifact that is known as a piece of Eden. The papers along with this letter will explain to you what these pieces of Eden are. There is not much information, but it is enough to understand that these pieces can not fall under the wrong hands. If you do not believe me, then seek out your last target; Robert de Sable and ask him of Al Mualim. He will tell you everything you want to know. I implore you to help my sister as she is the deliverer of these messages and she can help you unmask the hidden truths. Seek me out when you have found your answers.

Sincerely,

Jedidiah de Forsythe

As much as he wanted to trust the words of Jedidiah and Fiorenza, he just simply could not believe that such a conspiracy existed and led by his own master, Al Mualim.

"What do you make of this Malik?" Altair asked with doubt in his mind.

"I…do not know." Malik hesitated to answer. "This is all so sudden."

"Well whatever the case may be, I need you to take her to Jerusalem and keep her safe at the bureau. I will return to you when I have assassinated Robert."

"And what about Al Mualim?"

Altair sighed as he replied; "I'll talk with him when the time is appropriate."