Toby and I ride on horses to get there. We ride in silence as I think of all the trouble I've been through. What will happen when we defeat all of the Templars? Will we be forced to stay here forever? One question still lingering in my mind is how the Mohawk elder saw Toby and I as the Assassins who would destroy the Templar order. I sigh as I think about my home I may never return to.
"You alright, kid?" Toby asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just kind of conflicted. How did we get here?" I reply. Toby sighs.
"I don't know. But before I was here, I finished filming a video with Jack Douglass, whose YouTube channel is JacksFilms. Then, I went to my hotel in Colombia, Maryland and went to bed. I had a really stupid dream about seeing Altair, he thought I was a traitor, and he killed me. I woke up here in Achilles's stable. I was walking around when I saw you falling down the hill. Since I don't have much arm strength, I dragged you back as fast as I could but that bear caught up to me and scratched me. I lost blood, and I was sure I was going to die. Achilles then killed the bear and saved us." Toby confesses. I nod to show that I heard his story. A carriage came up on my right and it was flipped onto its side. The horses were standing aside. Underneath it was what looked to be a man. He was crying for help.
"Help! Anyone? Please, I beg of you! Help!" he shouted. Toby and I stopped and hopped off our horses. Toby held up the carriage as I yanked the trapped man out. He dusted himself off and put his hat on.
"Thank you, kind sir and..and…madam?" the man says. I don't want to take off my hood yet to show my identity until I trust this guy.
"Who are you, stranger?" I ask. The man composes himself. He looks familiar in some way.
"I am Paul Reline Revere." He says. Paul Revere himself? Boy, I've only been here for a few hours and I have already met a famous historical figure.
"Paul Revere? I read about you in my history b-"Toby nudges me in the ribs.
"We can't talk about the present! It will freak this dude out." He whispers. I swallow a lump in my throat.
"I heard you were a fine silversmith," I remark.
"Thank you, miss. What is your name?" Paul asks.
"Alexa Wilcox," I answer. Toby and I take off our hoods.
"Toby Turner, at your service," Toby says. Paul nods.
"Agh, I was just going to Boston when my carriage was ambushed by some drunk redcoats. Those bloody scoundrels!" Paul expresses angrily. I look at the damaged carriage and look at Toby. He seems to have the same idea. We grab the carriage and lift. Sweat begins to pour down my forehead as I flip the cart off its side. Wait, he said Boston. BOSTON? Holy crap, I'm in freakin' colonial MASSACHUSETTS.
"Thank you. And I say, for a little girl, you have amazing strength!" Paul remarked. We gathered his horses back and saddled them to the carriage. Paul drove off and I stared at the dirt road. I can't believe I am in Massachusetts. Where my ancestors are living. I start to feel dizzy again.
"Alexa, are you alright?" Toby asks.
"I'm just fine…" I reply. I'm not fine. I faint into Toby's arms and he catches me. I can hear Toby yelling.
"Holy mother of God!" he shouts. I can't see what's going on, but I can hear and feel it. He puts his hand over my chest where my heart is. He's checking if I am alive. I jolt awake and punch him in the nose.
"Agh! What was that for?" he yells in pain. A small dribble of blood is running out of his nose. His hands have a crimson stain on them.
"Sorry, it's instinct. If someone touches my chest, I defend myself," I apologize. I just punched Toby Turner in the nose. I PUNCHED Toby Turner IN THE NOSE! I think. I can't believe it. I start to get on my horse when a dart hits my neck. I take it out and notice it right away. It's a tranquilizer. Toby receives one in his neck, too.
"God dangit! Whoever shot that arrow's gonna pay!" he yells. I start to feel woozy from the tranquilizer effects.
"Th-that's a dart! And that…quote is from…your…Assassin's Creed Relevations…literal! Ha!" I laugh woozily. Toby laughs too. I finally fall off my horse with a thud.
I wake up when someone splashes water on my face. I'm lying on an animal skin in a large tent with a fire in the middle of it. There are people around us. They have feathers in their long hair. A man stands at the entrance of the tent. He looks outside at a snowstorm. Most of the people around me are elders. I'm speechless. They looked to be of the Mohawk tribe. Toby is awake too.
"Ratohnhaké:ton, come here. They are awake," an elder woman whispers with a raspy voice. I know the name, Ratohnhaké:ton, anywhere. Could it actually be Connor? The man turns around and walks over to face Toby and I. It is Connor, my favorite videogame character of all time is facing me. His eyes stare deeply at us and his midnight black hair shines from the light. He unleashes a hidden blade and glares at us.
"Who are you? Why do you want to go to Boston?" he asks loudly. I crawl backwards.
"I am Alexa Wilcox. I come in peace," I reply. He looks at Toby.
"Wow, I-I'm Toby Joe Turner," Toby stutters. "We were going to Boston because we have to execute the Templars." Connor softens his glare. It seems like he was remembering what the Templars did to his mother and village. He sheaths his hidden blade and sits on the ground.
"I'm sorry for making you fall off your horses," he sighs, "there was a blizzard coming too, and you two would have frozen in the cold. I am Ratohnhaké:ton, or you may call me Connor." So many things are racing through my head. I'm already shivering because the people woke me up with freezing water for god's sake! An elder puts a hand on Connor's tense shoulder. He relaxes his muscles and looks to Toby and I. The elder whispers something in Mohawk. Connor stands up and looks at us.
"My mission is to also end the Templars. It would be a great honor if I could accompany you in your journey," Connor remarks. The pros weigh out the cons in this situation.
"You may follow us. On one condition," Toby replies. I look at him in confusion. "Teach us how to hunt." Connor nods in agreement.
The blizzard dies down after time. Toby is fast asleep but I lie awake playing with the animal skin I am on. Connor shakes my shoulder gently. I look up at him.
"Follow me. Silently," he whispers. I get up from my makeshift bed and follow him outside. A light snowfall starts. I put on my hood to keep warm. We are in Connor's village. The faint glow of fire in all of the tents gives us light. Connor leads me to a tree that looks great for climbing.
"The last one to climb to the top will have to carry the meat back," Connor laughs.
"Meat?" I ask as Connor already starts to climb up. I get a running start and jump onto the tree. I grab broken branches and pull myself up. Connor slips off a branch and falls a few feet behind me. He hangs on a branch with one hand. I stand on a branch near the top and smile down at Connor.
"Are you stuck down there?" I laugh. Connor swings over to another branch.
"Not yet!" he replies. I fly up to the top of the tree and look at the view. Connor meets me.
"I guess I am the one who will carry the meat," he breathes. "I never knew a girl could beat me up this tree." I let out a laugh. There is a pile of hay at on the ground under us. I back up a few steps on the branch and jump off. The wind flies in my face and I flip onto my back into the hay. I get out of it and brush the hay off and Connor jumps in too.
"I'll teach you how to hunt. There is a place where the deer prefer to graze. It is a perfect hunting ground," Connor says. A large, shadowy figure looms over Connor. It has a razor sharp knife in hand. I shove Connor to the side and the figure misses his right shoulder by an inch. I take a knife out of my pouch and throw it at the man. He crouches down and holds his stomach with my knife in it. A book of matches falls out of his pocket. I light one and see the man is William Johnson.
"William Johnson?" I whisper. He glares at me.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" William yells. I keep my hood on. Connor looks at Johnson with a glare.
"Oh, wonderful. It's y-" Connor stabs his throat with a hidden blade. I stand there speechless. He says something in Mohawk to William Johnson's now dead body.
"Let's continue our hunt. The deer are vulnerable during night," Connor says. I follow him to the hunting grounds he had told me about.
After we got a few deer haunches, we head back to the village. Toby is still fast asleep. I sneak back into the skin and fall right asleep after a long night hunting.
I wake up and stretch. Toby is awake yet sleepy. A woman cooks the meat that Connor and I caught last night. Connor is still asleep. I crawl over to Toby.
"Day 2 in colonial America. Morning Toby," I say. Toby rubs his eyes.
"Morning, Alexa. Should we go off with Connor to kill William Johnson?" Toby replies. I bite my lip.
"That's the thing…um, well…last night Connor and I went out hunting for some deer. William Johnson was about to kill Connor. But I threw a knife at him and Connor finished him off. William Johnson is dead," I confess. Toby looks at the singed deer haunch cooking on the fire. He looks at me, then Connor, then me again.
"H-how did you-I didn't-forget it," Toby stutters. I giggle a bit at Toby's speechlessness. The woman hands us each a portion of meat. I haven't eaten in a day, and I'm starving. I ravenously bite the moist, savory deer haunch. Toby does too and soon we have full stomachs. Connor wakes up silently.
"Good morning, Alexa and Toby," he says.
"Good morning," we reply. Connor looks outside to see the ground covered in snow. I step out of the tent and look at the village. All around, people are busy fishing, weaving baskets, and blessing travelers on their journeys. I don't speak Mohawk, so I smile at people and wave trying to make myself not look like a threat. A man is struggling to carry stacks of crops. I run over to him and pick up the crops and bring them into his home.
"Niá:wen, (Thank you)" the man says. I picked up some of the language form the natives.
"Lo, (You're welcome)" I reply. I start to head back to the tent when a few Mohawk boys my age approach me, blocking my path. They speak English.
"Did you see the girl lift the crops for my Raké:ni? (Father) She should be in the tent cooking! A weak girl should let the men here work," one says. I could stand any insult, except being called weak.
"Tánon' ónhka ní:se'? (And who are you)" I ask. The boy points to his friends.
"Ko:r ióntiats Ajay. Ontiatén:ro' ne ki Akaash, ontiatén:ro' ne thi Kedar, (I am Ajay. This is Akaash. This is Kedar)" he replies. "I would be sad to see a girl lose a fight against big strong men like us."
"More like boys, perhaps?" I reply. "And it would be a shame if a girl beat all of you in a fight." Ajay sends out Kedar, a bulky kid with short hair. He raises his fists and throws a punch at me. I dodge under it and kick out his feet. He tumbles on the ground and immediately gets up. He charges at me like a bull and I sidestep out of the way. Kedar turns and throws more punches that miss my face. I send a kick into his stomach and punch the left side of his jaw. He falls onto the ground clutching his stomach. Akaash comes up to fight me and I dust off my sleeves. Akaash is much faster than I expected.
"I will beat you, girl, and then I will leave you hear in the dirt!" Akaash yells. He throws a series of punches that I barely dodge. The last punch goes to my nose and blood drops out of it. I grab his head and slam my head into his. I deliver a few kicks to his groin with my knee. He stumbles over onto his side wailing in pain.
"Anyone else?" I ask intimidatingly. Ajay steps up to me.
"Just to tell you, Ajay means invincibility and undefeatable!" he shouts. I rub the remaining blood from my nose and glare into his eyes.
"Such a pretty girl. Too bad she won't be after this!" Ajay throws a left hook aiming to knock me out. I block it, grab his arm and twist. He grits his teeth and breaks my lock on his arm. He grabs my leg when I am about to kick him and elbows my knee hard. I break his grip and stand. He kicks my feet out and I fall on my back on the ground. He steps on my stomach and digs his foot deeper.
"Rrghh!" I yell, gritting my teeth. Ajay brings his face down to mine.
"I told you," he says. I take my right arm and punch his temple. Ajay falls on his side, grabbing his head. I kick him once while he's down.
"I don't cook," I whisper. I limp back with an increasingly large pain in my stomach and leg. Toby greets me at the entrance. He saw the whole fight.
"That was intense! Are you alright?" he asks. I nod even though I wasn't. I almost fall and Toby puts my right arm over his shoulder. I limp to an animal skin and sit on it. A sharp pain remains in my left knee. Connor runs into the tent.
"Alexa, I have been looking for you! Where did you-"he notices the bloodstain on my nose. "What happened to your nose?" I flinch when Connor grazes it with his glove. I sigh.
"I got into a fight with a few boys," I confess. Connor has a look of horror on his face.
"With whom?" he asks urgently. I gulp.
"Three boys names Ajay, Akaash, and Kedar," I add. Connor smiles a bit.
"Did you beat them?" he asks. I nod sadly. Connor's smile enlarges. "Someone needed to teach the brats a lesson. As long as you are well enough to go to Boston now tomorrow." Finally we are heading to Boston!
"Boston? Of course I am-ow!" I exclaim. Connor feels around my knee.
"It's not broken, but you will need something to bandage it so you can still walk and climb," Connor reports. A woman comes over to me with a silk cloth. She wraps it around my knee like a brace. I stand up even though it hurts.
"We have to kill John Pitcairn in Boston, right?" Toby asks.
"Yes. It is where we will end him once and for all," Connor answers.
