If you've enjoyed this so far please R&R :)

and there's a bit of violence in this chapter hence the rating going up to an M.

good times. haha.

Zoe x


A Fate Worse Than Death?

He was gone. Like water into mist, he seemed to have vaporised into thin air, his warm body, and his tight protective embrace parting from mine in an effortlessly swift movement. Now I stood alone, in a city I was unaccustomed to no less. Adelbrecht, Tahir and Company could have turned around any second, their intentions still unknown. All I knew was I was in danger. I was in parts whether to trust the Assassin, and wait for his signal. But what signal? I imagined I would probably do more harm to defy his orders, and settled with the signal plan. Assassins were complicated men. Their thoughts mechanical processes; every action has and outcome, every outcome creates a new action to be followed through. Emotions only hinder an Assassin. They are foolish.

My heart was pacing ever quicker, but I had to remain unnoticed, and uninformed. They have to stop their search for the man in the dark at some point. Surely I was just with him? Gripping the reins tighter and tighter I waited, every second an eternity, the suspense causing my breathing to become unsteady and deep. Adelbrecht suddenly turned and I could not help but look petrified as he came towards me. Templars. I repeated in my head. They must be Templars…

"Miss?" his face was awash with puzzlement. "Are you feeling well?"- I daren't respond. Adelbrecht must be bluffing, but what about the 3 other guards, they couldn't be Templars could they? They are of Muslim birth, unquestionably. I half expected Adelbrecht to change, become something sinister, violent. I wanted him to, to Show the truth in his character and wash the doubt from my mind. But he carried on. "Miss? Whatever is the matter." He looked at me dubiously. "Did you see something",

"No, I……it's just" I stumbled on my words, "I'm just a bit wary, that is all" I smiled as best I could without causing suspicion, "I have a terrible fear of.." – I pushed my luck and tested Adelbrecht's reaction, whilst hoping wildly that he wouldn't pick up – "uh a fear of Templars." He didn't stir at all, yet a sudden rush of anxiety poised itself on his face, it was the kind that gets quickly driven away by a preferred face of steely cold ignorance. Damn. I moved backwards slowly as if to prepare myself for the dash to the Palace, but before I could the sign appeared.

An eagle swept from the top of a building in the distance, its caws heard piercing the silent air as it glided beak first straight for Tahir. It seemed to peck at his face violently whilst Tahir – arms flailing, tried with all his might to slash the eagle with his dagger. It was dark and the eagle keen of sight gracefully soared on an up thrust back up into the Persian-blue night sky. I watched in terror as Tahir clutched - his hands coated in blood, at the empty space in which his eye would have been, screaming. The eagle had snatched it clean from its socket, and after encircling his victim and surveying its handiwork, released the eye only for it to slap onto the face of one of Adelbrecht's remaining two men, who was looking up in shock at the time. His face was covered in his colleague's blood, worst still the smell invaded his mouth and nose, leaving a metallic taste. He began to gag, and on suppressing the need to rid his stomach in the gutter, was sufficiently flattened by a man dressed in white. The Assassin. He was crouched on the guard's back, which I guessed had been broken in the flight path down from the rooftop. The glint of a heavily decorated Katar shone in the moonlight from the victim's neck, as it whipped back into his gauntlet, bloodstained. Aini bucked in fright. I grabbed her reins in time to stop her from rearing high, but I couldn't blame her, her back was turned to the fight, and could smell and hear the fear that discharged itself from the guards. The Assassin then focussed his attentions on the second of Adelbrecht's men. The supposed guard had his long sword gripped tightly at the hilt, and swung it in a fierce hacking motion at the Assassin. He however was promptly stunned by a quick kick in the stomach that floored him, followed shortly by his own sword driven through his stomach pinning him to the dusty ground. He was shown no mercy and the sword twisted slowly. An eruption of blood found its way up through the newly made hole whilst a loud crack proceeded.

Adelbrecht unsure on whether to risk death, or see through his mission, decided to take his chances with a traumatized girl, rather than a deadly assassin of the Hashshashin Sect, and he swiftly advanced on me. I gripped Aini tightly as I spun around and placed my left foot in the stirrup, but as I did I noticed 3 men standing on the wall outside the entrance to Jerusalem. It startled me, yet I knew they were here in alliance of the Assassin. They too were dressed in white tunics, with the same articles of physical death adorned as if they were jewellery. I was too slow, and Adelbrecht pulled my neck with a forcefully clamped arm locking my body into submission. He pulled me back and I faltered, stumbling on my feet as it left the stirrup. Hastily I looked back for the 3 Assassins, but they were gone. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. He will kill me. Death by a Templar. It was then it dawned on me. They're finishing off a set. But I had no time to piece together their motives and used my free hands to claw and grasp at his clutch; I dug my heels into the ground, the rock and sharp dusty gravel ripping my loosely sandaled feet, and leaving a bloodied track.

The night was quiet now; the only sound my pained whimpers as I tried to tell Adelbrecht to let me go, but his hold was crushing my windpipe and I couldn't breathe. He reached the middle of where the three guards now lay silently, Tahir passed out from pain, the other two dead. The Assassins were no where to be seen. I was violently pulled up by my long, fair hair that had fallen out of my scarf whilst I struggled, and Adelbrecht looked deeply into my eyes. He turned and raised the blade of his surprisingly sharp sword to my throat. It was cold and I hitched back in shock, nicking my skin lightly, only to feel a small trickle of blood run down my neck. He threatened ever closer with it, and pushed it into my neck harder. Tears began to swell in my eyes. I closed them praying as hard as I could. There was nothing else I could do.

"Collect your prize, Assassins", Adelbrecht's voice boomed. But there was nothing. The air remained still, untouched, not even a glimmer of thought a murder had taken place that last minute. He tried again, louder, pushing the blade further still into the soft part under my jaw, "collect your prize, Assassins!" My cheeks burnt with tears of frustration as I tried to steady myself in the awkward position I found myself. My legs were bent, and my hair still snatched by Adelbrecht, he had complete control over my body's movement, and furthermore that of the blade. My desperately feeble attempts to push up and steady my weight onto my legs, were foiled by both the sharp pain of the wounds I now sustained on each heel, and the sword digging deeper. Again the Assassins did not appear. It seemed like an age that I was pressed between the erratic rise and fall of my captor's chest, and an incredibly sharp blade, a position I was trying my best to relieve myself from. But still where were the Assassins? Frantically I told myself that they were waiting for a particular moment to attack, only to stop myself from panicking and accidentally slitting my own throat. But my thoughts were soon vanquished by the bloodthirsty caw of the eagle. Adelbrecht looked up, to find it circling his head, just above the rooftops of a nearby 3 storey house. In fear of losing a favoured part of his anatomy, worse still a limb, he quickly removed his sword, whilst keeping a tight hold onto my now numb head of hair, and kicked the small of my back. My nose was the first part of me to meet with the floor, blood spraying instantly, as my knees buckled under the sharp pain travelling from my torn feet. Sobbing I thought of my impending death. He raised his sword ready to strike. I heard the metallic wave of crisp light that edged its way along the pointed edge. Surely the assassins haven't gone, left me to die? I winced, wetness now running freely but silently down my scorched face, as I expected the blade to fall between my shoulders. I heard the sword - grasped tightly, enter and rip through tense skin, and emerge the other side strong.

Looking around, I was amazed to find my head was intact, connected to the rest of me. The body of Adelbrecht fell to the floor beside me - impailed on his own sword, and I couldn't help but cry with relief, my hands grasping at the dirt around me. I tried to move but I couldn't feel a thing. My vision was blurred with tears and shock; I had never expected to feel so much pain as I did now. All of my body wished me dead, and I slumped further, suppressing a loud cry in my throat. I wondered if my family had received the better side of the bargain after all.

Hardly noticing the four presences behind me, I carried on releasing my anger into the ground. Yet reducing my hurt into a moan when I felt the strong arm of an Assassin pick me up and carry me silently, as if I were a mere feather. He put my arms around his neck and my head rested naturally on his shoulder. I could hear the eagle silently flap towards my general direction, and an Assassin congratulate it lovingly. One of the other Assassins remarked on how he would take Tahir to Masayaf, to see his Master, I heard Aini's hooves trot off in the distance, out of Jerusalem, shortly after.

I was conscious for the run to the bureau, but my eyes were closed, heavy and cloudy. I could feel the jolt of my head against my vehicle's shoulder as he descended the walls and jumped from rooftop to rooftop. When we reached the destination, I was near physical exhaustment, and the last memories i recall were of a bed of silken pillows, and musky air scented with patchouli. I was safe.