Scars? Tacita had scars on her back? She turned her head, craning it to the side as best she could in order to try and sight whatever Lucilla had spotted. But she couldn't see it. In her peripherals, all Tacita could see was different colored flesh, like it was blotched. Lucilla saw the true horror- a burn scar that stretched all across Tacita's back, twisting on itself in a shiny pink and white mass. But even as Lucilla asked, Tacita still shook her head to recollecting anything about it.

It was strange at first, because both Tacita and Lucilla were thinking about the scars, but it turned out they were no more sensitive than the rest of Tacita. They did their best to forget it. After Lucilla got accustomed to the water, she pushed Tacita in because the girl was too hesitant. Then Lucilla mainly worked on the mute's hair while Tacita started scrubbing her skin. The difference was amazing. Tacita lost her tan, and Lucilla slowly worked some of the tangles out of her overgrown hair. A knife cropped off a lot of the knots, and brought Tacita's naturally dark hair to a length just at her shoulder blades.

Clothed in a clean dress, the dirt scrubbed off of her skin, and her hair carefully brushed out, Tacita felt very good. It was strangely pleasant to get the layer of grime off of her- almost as if Lucilla had helped her scrub away the nightmares that woke her every night. Lucilla seemed to think it was grand, too, for she pulled Tacita out into different lights and complimented her many times before they made it back home.

"From now on," Lucilla ordered sternly as they walked, "you'll have to take care of yourself. None of this running around the wilds stuff."

Tacita rolled her eyes, accidentally being seen by Lucilla, who tried to think up ways of making her guest abide by that rule the rest of the way back. The mute didn't plan on letting herself get dirty again, but she did find amusement in Lucilla's frustrations. As Lucilla suggested one thing that might make Tacita keep some word, Tacita gave her a blank stare, signaling that Lucilla had nothing on her.

The rest of the day was blissfully relaxed. Tacita learned more about herbs, specifically about the ones Lucilla got for Aurelia's boy. It turned out that Lucilla guarded jealousy a patch of them, and kept them growing just for Aurelia. Tacita also learned more about cooking and did her daily cleaning chores, but that was about it.

When night finally hit, the two climbed up the small house and lay on the roof, staring at the stars that the growing moon tried to wipe away with its pale light. Lucilla pointed out some stars and stated some animal they looked like. For instance, one set of stars looked like a bear. Tacita tried it, pointing out a few stars. Lucilla would try and pinpoint them, and then guess what they made. It turned out to be a fun game, and Tacita held her sides in silent laughter more than once.

After a bit of silence in which the two stared quietly at the ceiling of stars, Lucilla sat up. She made as if to get off the roof, and then stopped, glancing shyly at Tacita. Tacita sat up as well, curious as to what would make Lucilla look so shy. Quietly, the hostess looked down at her knees for a moment, and then looked at Tacita, her eyes almost pleading.

"Tacita... can you keep a secret?" she said finally.

Tacita nodded without hesitation. In response, Lucilla leaned over and very quickly kissed Tacita on the cheek before leaping off the roof and hurrying inside. Tacita didn't move a muscle for a couple of moments. When she finally did move, it was to turn her head a little bit, as if to ask the surrounding trees what had just happened. And that was exactly the idea in her head: 'What?'

Because it would be awkward to enter the house too quickly, Tacita stayed outside and thought it over. She had been expecting some kind of real secret, but instead she got a kiss. It seemed Lucilla had meant what she asked, so the kiss must have been the secret. As Tacita thought it over, it made sense that the kiss stood for something. Although she tried to avoid the idea, the girl finally had to come to the conclusion that Lucilla liked girls.

In a way, it made sense. On the other hand, it was strange and alien. How was Tacita supposed to react to that? Was Lucilla hoping for something? And if so, was Tacita willing to give it? It was all too confusing, so the mute finally decided to head inside, and she quietly lay down on the floor to go to sleep under one of the spare blankets.

Morning brought no answers. There were no words exchanged between the two, which was unusual, since Lucilla usually took up the word count of the day for both of them. Lucilla did her best to pretend nothing had ever happened, though, because she still smiled and hummed as she made breakfast. Tacita still received her food with a smile, and her uncertainty along with Lucilla's quiet wait for a choice were shared in a glance.

It was so strange, now that Tacita thought about it. Strange that Lucilla could show Tacita this very strange fact about herself, and strange that Tacita could tell her that she wasn't sure what to think just yet, and that Lucilla could respond that she was alright for waiting for a decision, all within a single glance. Strange, but wonderful. For some reason, Tacita was afraid to speak, and Lucilla had never even forced her to say a single word. Neither did she force her into a decision here.

The next week was strange. A small touch as they handed each other a basket of goods suddenly became electric, and more than once Tacita dropped whatever she was supposed to be handing over. 'Awkward' didn't begin to define it, but the two flitted shyly around the other. The mute even became self-conscious if she watched Lucilla for too long, something she had done a lot before in order to learn.

In the dead of night, Tacita was kept awake with her thoughts, trying to figure things out. Could she love Lucilla the way Lucilla hoped? It wasn't to say that Tacita didn't like Lucilla, but she just didn't know if she liked the girl like that. How was she supposed to know if she could have such a different relationship?

In a week's time, Tacita had thoroughly exhausted the subject in her head, and no answers came to her. She was still just as confused as before, and she could tell that Lucilla was still waiting. It made the girl almost feel guilty, making Lucilla wait so patiently like this. But she couldn't say 'yes', and for some reason she couldn't say 'no'.

While in town, the subject was still on her mind. How could it not be? Nothing had returned to normal since that quick moment on the rooftops. She had learned to shop a bit, however, and found it was a wonderful distraction, trying to communicate without words. While trading a small bag of herbs, something dawned upon the mute.

Tacita remembered young Albus and his mother. Lucilla grew a special patch of herbs just so that Albus had a better chance at living, and she provided comfort and support to Aurelia. Lucilla had also provided the same thing to Tacita.

It was true that, when Tacita had first woken up, she had been ready to streak out the door at the first sign of aggression. But Lucilla kept smiling, cared for her, and even offered her food. Eventually, the two shared the house, and Lucilla gave her everything in it. She even worked with Tacita to accommodate her reluctance to speak. If there was anyone Tacita could love, it would be Lucilla, and only Lucilla.

Excited by this new breakthrough, Tacita turned from the trade posts and maneuvered quickly to where she knew Lucilla would be. When she got there, however, Lucilla wasn't anywhere to be seen. Despite Tacita looking, she couldn't spot her hostess, and worry blossomed as she saw nearby people were being drawn to some gathering. She was far away from the commotion, but she still saw what was standing in the middle of the crowd as she walked. Soldiers in red and Lucilla being held by the hair by that man.

Tacita's heart leapt and she flinched so hard she almost smacked a nearby woman. She remembered that man, standing over her and asking her father questions. The reaction was so intense, for a moment she almost ran like a frightened animal. But she couldn't. Lucilla was holding her in place and moving her feet forward, faster and faster until she was shoving people out of the way.

'Not again.' she thought. 'You can't take everything away from me again.'

"People like this only bring weakness to a society and fracture it." the man said, not seeming to notice the noises of protest as Tacita worked her way toward the steps to the gallows. "They bring unholy relationships here, and defile people."

She was so close now. Soon, she would only have to fight past the guards at the steps.

"If ever you spot one," he raised a gun, holding it at Lucilla's back. Lucilla's eyes followed Tacita sadly. "report them immediately."

Tacita made it to the soldiers. She glanced at Lucilla, saw the gun to her back and the small, understanding, almost overjoyed smile on her face. All it took was a glance, sadly. One look, and Lucilla understood. She knew what choice her mute companion had finally made, and she was so thankful for it. There was nothing else important to share. And Tacita hated it.

She was caught by the soldiers, each one holding an arm, as the gunshot went off. A horrible scream rent the air, made by an untried voice, and then Tacita fell limp in the soldier's grip. It was as if Tacita were a puppet, and her strings had just been cut. So like the dead was her form that the soldiers glanced at each other, uncertain how to react.

The sound of that man's boots made their way across the gallows, toward Tacita. He had already lost interest in the lesbian girl, and was now moving on. She could smell the smoke coming from his gun.

At a signal, the soldiers hoisted Tacita up. She made an effort to stand, and found her legs oddly sturdy. The soldiers tried to pull the girl onto the steps, but a pointed look from her spoke plainly.

'I can walk on my own.' she said. 'I will not run.'

Quietly, she made her way in front of that man, the guards flanking her. She stood before him, face as still as she could make it. For a moment, her eyes flickered over to Lucilla's body, and sadness was so apparent in her that she forced herself to look away, to be untouchable. That man would not be allowed to make her sad.

"Are you the lover of that poor girl?" That man asked. He smirked, and a hand stretched out to play with a bit of her hair. "Such a pity that a girl like you would be wasted on a relationship like that. I could think of much more fitting things for you."

Silence, as always, greeted his comments. Hatred was beginning to burn in her stomach, emerging from the shock that had come immediately after an overwhelming sadness and terror. She kept her face stoic and determined, eyes burning into his.

"Does this make you sad?" He said, turning and gesturing to Lucilla so that Tacita couldn't help but look at the limp form. Lucilla's golden hair was tainted with red now. "Does it make you want to cry?"

But when that man looked back again, he still received no words. Her eyes still burned. It was becoming an effort to hold herself back, to smother every emotion that was leaping up to choke him, and instead ended up choking her.

'I will never cry for a single wrong you commit.' She thought, though she was uncertain how much of it got through. 'No victim of yours deserves my tears. My sorrow will not heal them."

He only smirked.

"If you will not cry, then perhaps you do not feel for this woman. Perhaps you lied to her, and what you truly want is-"

There was no warning, no twitch of the muscles, no frown to warn him. In a flash, Tacita punched that man right in the face, and he stepped back in surprise, one hand raised. The guards, surprised, reacted a little slowly. Tacita grabbed the left one's arm before kicking him off the platform. The one to the right drew his sword, but the girl ducked beneath his swing and kicked him solidly in the chest, sending him careening off the back of the platform.

While that man found himself growing angry about the blow that had been struck, more soldiers made their way onto the platform. Tacita stoutly refused the approach of one guard by stepping on one end of a loose board she had noticed, and knocking him out with the other end. As that man watched, Tacita found herself falling into darkness. It wasn't just the notion that the man had suggested Tacita had lied about her love. It was everything from before- the two years she had forgotten, where she had run about the forest, barely surviving on just her instincts. Now she was a creature of instinct, with no morals and no care about lost lives. Those who came at her were enemies, threats, and were treated as such: with no mercy.

She tossed them off of the platform and into the crowd, she broke their hands and stole their swords, and she used their own strength against them, tricking them into stabbing each other because her own strength was not enough. As the last two soldiers fell, she became aware of the attention of that man. He lifted his gun, and she stared directly into his eyes.

'Don't you dare.' she growled in her mind, feral thoughts of what she might do to him passing behind the foreground of her mind.

That man pulled back the hammer to the gun, but a strange look was in his eyes.

'You won't shoot me.' Tacita thought forcefully, eyes still locked with his.

Now a wondering look dawned on his face, making him almost look dumbfounded.

'You took the life of another. It's only right you take your own in turn.'

Puzzlement and an inner struggle in him became apparent, but then that man turned from Tacita, his face suddenly slackening, and he walked toward the nooses that were strung up for last-minute hangings

Tacita quickly forgot about him, and she ran to Lucilla's body, which had crumpled sideways on the platform. Ignoring the blood, she lifted up Lucilla's head and abdomen, searching for some form of life in her slim form. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then it closed again. Her throat was tight. Slowly, she rocked back and forth. Again, her mouth opened.

"Lucilla. Lucilla." She repeated, the noise as loud as the smallest wind, breathy and high with emotion.

Would she come back if she finally talked? Of course not. The idea was absurd- why was it even there? Whether she talked or not had never been a real problem in their friendship.

"Cesare, sir!" Shouted someone, a guard. "What are you doing?"

That man stopped in his tracks, blinking hard. His hand had extended toward the noose, and he realized that just a moment ago, he fully intended to hang himself. What had possessed him? Quickly, he spun to look at the girl, holding her dead lover in her arms. Some wild idea took hold, and the insanity that came with obsession lit in his eyes. That man exchanged his gun for his sword, and called out loudly.

"Papal guards! Papal guards!"

It seemed the urgency of his voice hurried things along, and from nowhere came the elite guards he had called for. They were supposed to be meant for killing the Assassins, but that man wanted them to catch this woman now. As he approached, the woman turned to look sharply at him, and he found his steps hesitate. How could he prevent what happened before?

The guards ran swiftly through the crowd, easily carving paths for themselves. Tacita saw the only open way out in a heartbeat, and hoisted her friend up, darting for that way. That man screamed for the guards to not let her escape, but the highness of the platform allowed the girl to merely run on top of the guards, and then drop into the street. Pedestrians moved out of the way like water, frightened to be caught up in her own troubles or experience the power that had sent Cesare Borgia to try and kill himself.

That's right. She barely registered who that man was. He had always been 'that man' to her, but his real name was Cesare Borgia. He was in charge of the army, and his father was the Pope. Just as vaguely, she noticed that she had caught the attention of a very powerful man. She didn't care.

She ran with all her heart, pushing her body to its maximum potential. Sharp turns and crowds of people weren't always enough, as the guards seemed to be both strong and fast. It was a deadly combination, but when she found a way to hide, using her lead as an advantage, she took it.

There was an open gate to her right, leading to a small, secluded courtyard. She dove into it, closed the door, and locked it behind her by placing a long board of wood where they would rest firmly. Then she put Lucilla on a bench and rested. The soldiers went by quickly, never suspecting the closed door to hide her. It was a good thing, too, since Tacita hadn't gained the stamina that would have been needed to fight them all off.

When her nerves had calmed enough for Tacita to stop pacing about the courtyard, looking for anyone that might tell on her, she returned to Lucilla's side. The woman's face was still and calm, stuck in that look of happiness that Tacita had spotted before the gun went off. It was strange to think that Lucilla was alright with everything being taken from her. Yet, here was Tacita, fighting and struggling like the animal she had been a few months ago, burning deeply from within against the wrongs that had been committed against her. But then, Tacita had to live with it.

Exhausted, Tacita went to her knees. She held one of Lucilla's cold hands and laid her forehead on the woman's stomach, painfully aware of how it did not rise and fall with breath. The mute wanted to cry. But she couldn't. She would not shed a tear for a single crime Cesare committed. Not until all of this was over. Instead, she just sat there, stomach twisting in on itself, eyes feeling tired, despite no tears threatening to spill.

"What a strange girl you are."

Tacita was up in a moment, spinning to see who had appeared behind her. He had made no sound, and yet here was a man who would have needed to scale the walls to enter the courtyard, for Tacita checked to see the door was still blocked. He looked odd, too, wearing a brown robe and a deep hood that threw shadows onto his face. She tried to look him in the eye, but she couldn't see them properly.

"But with the guards around, we haven't the time to talk properly. So, where is it?"

The girl paused, tilting her head to the side and furrowing her brow a bit. 'Where is what?' her look asked.

"The Piece of Eden you have." the man said impatiently, taking a quick step forward and holding out his hand. "It is an item of great power, and I can only assume you've been misusing it. We need it."

'We?' she mouthed.

There was the thundering of guards just outside the courtyard. It would only be a matter of time before the soldiers thought to look in this closed-off area. Tacita heard the odd whistling of a bird, and the robed man glanced up briefly.

"Give it here." the man said, again extending his hand.

Tacita shook her head slowly, looking confused. She was trying to figure how she could tell him that she didn't know about the Piece of Eden. She didn't have such a thing. In fact, it was probably blown up in her house years ago. The memories brought to her an abrupt thought: what if she somehow brought it with her after she left?

Quickly, she started piecing things together. Just by looking at Cesare's eyes, she had almost forced him to kill himself. She remembered a similar scene when she had first seen that man, and she had told the soldier before her to stand down so that she could leave. He had done so. And if Cesare had never found the Piece of Eden he was looking for that night, then it would make sense for him to send the elite guards after her once she had manipulated him; it was highly likely that the girl who disappeared would have the item he was seeking.

Where, though, would she have it? Tacita had never carried an item with her, let alone one she knew held the power to manipulate the minds of others. And she could only assume it was the thing that kept her alive those two years of instinctual frenzy. So where-

Her eyes widened with the memory of fire. Her back itched as she remembered the pain of her flesh burning, her clothing lighting up, and the sensation centering around the middle of her back. Perhaps- just perhaps- that mystical item had been burned into her very flesh.

As realization dawned upon the girl's face after the moments of thought, someone began banging at the door. The man before Tacita turned sharply to see dust shaking from the giant wooden doors, but the girl spun to her dead friend. She picked her up quickly and turned to the walls. Seeing a pipe that ran down, she readjusted Lucilla so that the woman was laying over one shoulder, and then Tacita ran at the wall, her one free hand latching onto the pipe.

"Merda." The man muttered from below, and he too began to scale the walls.

Tacita felt her muscles strain, but tried to call upon the power of the artifact in her back. It strengthened her muscles, and she wasn't even winded as she stepped on the roof of the building. Below, the wooden doors crashed open, splinters flying everywhere, and the Papal guards entered quickly, searching around for Tacita. No one was smart enough to look up, although the blood on the bench made it obvious that Tacita had been there. The guards who were already on the roofs didn't need to look much to spot Tacita and the man who came up behind her.

"This way to safety." The man said before running atop the roofs, his steps quiet even when he was in a hurry.

Tacita hesitated, watching the man for a moment. Could she trust him? Then, as he jumped from one roof to another, she saw the flash of a dagger, and he landed upon a soldier who did not get up when the robed man moved on. The enemy of her enemy could be her friend, for now. So the girl followed, stumbling now and then with the weight of Lucilla. She needed a free hand more than once to climb, and the man eventually led her into the darker parts of the great city.

Quietly, they dropped into a small street. The man looked about, listening carefully for the sound of approaching guards or a call that would tell him that they had been spotted. However, he heard nothing and, after checking to see that the girl was still there, headed inside a building.

Tacita, aware that she was no longer required to run about, shifted Lucilla so that she was draped between the mute's arms. It was difficult not to feel sad, but she fought it off by distracting herself. The place she was in had stairs that went further underground, and then opened up into a series of rooms that connected to each other. She noticed several bookcases and another room that she got a glimpse of held many bottles that contained what she could only suspect were potions of various effects. Before she could see too much, though, the man who was leading her turned.

"Wait here." He said, and then disappeared without a sound.

Tacita stood quietly, feeling a bit awkward. Lucilla was dripping on the floor. And what was she doing here, anyways? She should have fled as soon as the guards had fallen behind, not followed him. But now she would have to deal with her choice. As she glanced around, the place seemed eerily empty.

Back around the corner came her escort, and with him two other men. One seemed more like a scholar, his face visible and sharp. The other also wore a robe, but his were white and they adorned several types of local weapons, many of which were more obvious than the hidden knife the first man had used.

"So you have a Piece of Eden?" The scholar said quickly.

Tacita sighed. She didn't care about the Piece of Eden or anything.

"Let's take care of the girl, first." The other man said in an accent Tacita had never heard before. "She needs a burial."

There was silent consent, and Tacita was allowed to carry Lucilla to Lucilla's house, for she refused to bury the woman anywhere else. The white robed man was more patient than the others in most cases, but here he seemed to be the same as everyone else. They gave the dead the greatest of respect.

By listening, she found that the white-robed man was Ezio Auditore, an Italian man who had become an Assassin. Both of the other men, Machiavelli and La Volpe, were also Assassins, and were Ezio's seniors in that sense. It was strange, to think that assassins were helping Tacita put Lucilla to rest, and in fact respected the dead. It was strange to think that they hadn't killed her already.

"If what La Volpe says is correct," Ezio said while watching the pyre, "we may need your help."

Tacita looked at Ezio calmly. She liked him. The other ones made her feel like she had done something wrong.

"You know how to use the Piece of Eden, but you won't give it up." he continued.

The girl looked at Ezio.

'I can't.' she mouthed while shaking her head, but no one seemed to understand. Annoyed, she searched for a stick and crouched on the ground, writing on the dirt. She hadn't known she could write.

'I would have to die.' said the words in the dirt.

"Surely you're not that attached to it." Machiavelli said, annoyance clear in his own tone.

Tacita sighed and shook her head. Then she reached back to tap her back. Not everyone seemed to understand, so she next grabbed the skin on the back of her hand.

"It's in your skin?" Machiavelli exclaimed, shock wiping away the annoyance swiftly.

Tacita nodded, and then pointed at the pyre.

"It was burned into your back..." Ezio said, his voice hushed.

"We would have to cut it out if we needed it that badly." La Volpe sighed, the light from the pyre playing on his form, making him almost blend into the forest.

There was silence for a few moments. Tacita stood there nervously, deciding not to run. She had to put faith into these men that they would be just as kind to her as they had been to Lucilla. She needed to believe they would not cut her open, like she knew Cesare would.

"As far as I can tell, you have a couple of options." Machiavelli said in business-like tones. "We could protect you, or you could choose to fight."

Her eyes found the ground, lit by the large flames. Yes, she could hide and let them keep her safe. But she was glad Machiavelli suggested she could fight. She wanted to. If she could use the artifact to her advantage, in order to help something, she wanted to. It wasn't really about revenge right now. She was too numb from the last hour to feel that need. She just remembered the people that Lucilla had helped, and decided that she wanted to be just as helpful, even if it was in a different way. That man, Cesare, did not deserve to keep living after everything he had done. Tacita knew she was not the first to be wronged by him, nor would she be the last.

"Are you sure?" Ezio asked Machiavelli. "I'm not certain she's up for the fight."

"Wouldn't it be disadvantageous to put a Piece of Eden right where Cesare could get it?" La Volpe put in.

"She can choose to hide quietly, and we can take care of her." Machiavelli explained calmly, making eye contact with both Ezio and La Volpe. "But if she chooses to fight, she'll not only be capable of defending herself if or when Cesare finds her again, but she'll also further our cause of loosening the grip the Templars have had on this city."

"That is true." Ezio said reluctantly. "She would be a strong weapon."

Tacita sensed a little bit of guilt in Ezio. Perhaps it was odd to refer to her in the same way he would refer to the Piece of Eden; as a weapon. It didn't bother her, since it all made sense.

"So, girl?" Machiavelli turned to her, making eye contact. La Volpe shifted, apparently knowing the danger, but otherwise not saying anything. "Will you fight?"

Tacita's eyes found the pyre for only the briefest of moments. Then she nodded. Yes, of course she would fight! After another pause, she etched on the floor again. Her name stood out, deep shadows cast across the grooves.

"Tacita?" Ezio said, turning his head a little to read it. "Is that your name?"

She smiled a little bit and nodded, but the effort to smile seemed too much, and it quickly faded.

"Alright. Welcome to the Assassins, young apprentice."

It had been a couple of days since Lucilla had been killed as an example. Aurelia still couldn't fathom how anyone had known she was different. Even she hadn't known, although the thought crossed her mind almost as a joke when Lucilla brought mute Tacita over. And Lucilla had been so kind. Why did she have to die?

It was difficult to do the dishes with these thoughts, so she was almost thankful to hear a knock at the door. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, assuming the calculating look most guests were accustomed to. Her thoughts went to her son in his room, probably sleeping. If the soldiers knew she was friends with Lucilla and assumed she was an accomplice of Tacita's, what would happen to him?

Stoutly, she opened the door, but surprise broke the calculating mask when she saw no one there. Quietly, she leaned outside and looked about, but still no one caught her eye. Then she felt the bag underneath her feet. Slowly, she lifted her foot and looked to see a very small pouch, similar to the one Lucilla always wore when she came to deliver herbs. Just as slowly, as if receiving a present from a ghost, she leaned down and picked it up, and then opened it. Inside were the very same herbs Lucilla had brought so many times before.

Quickly, though without new results, Aurelia glanced about again. She even looked up at the roofs and thought she saw a flicker of motion, but it might have just been a guard. When she closed the door to her house and turned around, the woman spotted her son, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Did Lucilla bring more herbs?" he said groggily, sighting the pouch.

"No, honey. Lucilla's gone. She won't be bringing more herbs. I think... Yes, Tacita has brought you some medicine. Do you remember the silent girl?"

Surprisingly, the shy boy smiled so brightly his face lit up.

"Yeah, I remember her! She's pretty!"

Shieb: There were several things I wanted to do with this story. I wanted her to have null existence, and then have everything she knew taken away, then give her back hope, and then snatch it away again. In this chapter, I think it provides a nice arc for her, since the meek little girl you saw for most of the story turns into a person who's defiant and strong in bad situations, who chooses to fight instead of run. I also wanted to pull at your hearstrings. Let me know how well I did.

Notice how I use Cesare in a lot of my stories? Why? Well, he's just really easy to hate.