The heavy sleet that covered everything clung to Leonardo's long crimson cloak, as he hurried through the narrow alleys and across the small plaza that lay between the thieves headquarter and his own home. The cold made his breath rise in thick white clouds, normally it would have been a sight that would have amused him, but not today. Not when all he could see in his mind's eye were the glowing fear in his beloveds eyes.

Casting a quick glance over his shoulder, to assure himself that he was indeed alone in the narrow ally, before he quickly fished the small key from his pouch, and unlocked the door.

The small innocent looking door opened smoothly on silent hinges, allowing the artist to slip into the noisy halls off the thieves' house. All eyes lifted from their respective tasks, only to return to their own business as the artist was recognised and greeted. Smiling at the many greetings Leonardo stopped one of the young novices with a genteel hand on the girls shoulder, as she tried to hurry by.

- Please child, tell me is Madonna Rosa here? I need to see her urgently!

- Urgently? ? What matter could bring you here in such a frazzled state maestro?

Her voice was smooth and effortless with the merest hint of laughter in it, even as she drowned out the noises of the hall.

Letting go of the child, Leonardo turned in time to see Rosa reclining gracefully on the railing of the open second floor balcony. She was dressed as always in tight fitted leather which left no doubt as to the fitness of her slender long limbed body. Bowing slightly, Leonardo meet her piercing black eyes, she was in one word beautiful. And had women been in his taste Leonardo would certainly have been tempted by her large almond shaped eyes, full soft looking lips and smooth luminous olive skin. Her delicate heart shaped face, were simple enhanced by the way her unadorned braid pulled her long glistening hair back. Stunning she might be, yet this was not what had attracted Ezio to the feisty thief, it was her keen mind, her quiet strength and unbridled tongue that had drawn the eye and heart of the assassin. Ezio had in her found his strong female counterpart, and now he needed her strength, more than ever.

- Rosa.. i... he is back, and he is begging you to come. Please he needs you.

- He is back! Where is he, is he Hurt? where has he been all this time?

She didn't wait for Leonardo to answer her barrage of questions, before she threw her leg over the railing, and leapt from the balcony, to land with a dancers grace and balance. Crossing the floor quickly she grabbed Leonardo's hands locking eyes with the man she unwillingly shared Ezio with, letting him see the urgency that suddenly filled her too.

- Please maestro be honest, he is wounded, si?

Nodding Leonardo held her dark and intense gaze, as she pressed on: It is bad, si? Will we need herbs?

- Yes i think so, but i must confess that his need to see you send me here before i had a chance to examine him. That said, he told me that he has been in the hands of the Borgia spawn... yes we will need herbs, most likely all you can find. And anything you have to make bandages with. oh and any spare blankets you can find, i think he has been swimming in one of the canals, he was in any case completely soaked.

- oddio, No...Wait here... it won't take long.

The winter sky had darkened the clouds to deep purplish pewter, as the Day was coming to an end. Moving in silence the cloak covered pair walked briskly through the encroaching gloom. To the casual observer they would simply appeared to be a maestro and his apprentice on their way back from market, laden as they were with heavy bags and parcels. But as they turned the last corner, the slender youth stopped, and quickly melted into the shadow off a broken cart, while gesturing for the artist to continue on.

Nodding Leonardo resumed walking, quickly picking up his pace as he neared the door to his home.

Smiling to herself Rosa watched the slender man as he walked briskly through the freshly fallen snow, even from this distance she could see the golden sheen of his long blond hair. Ah and those glistening violet blue eyes off his, so filled with life and a fierce intelligence, yet utterly devoid of guile. Yes, it was a small wonder that he had captured the heart off a man like Ezio. In fact if Leonardo had in anyway been attracted to women she would not have refused him either.

Sighing she watched him pause at the locked door, obviously waiting for her to give him a sign on whether they had been followed or not.

Aaah the capriciousness of the gods was a constant cause of wonder. Slithering from the shadows Rosa signalled for the artist to go in as she ran towards him, with catlike grace.

The big room which made up the main room and studio, was filled with a pleasant dry heat, as she entered and closed the thick oak door behind her. Setting the bags on the floor she quickly lifted the crossbar into place, and pushed the locks home. Then hoisting the bags to her shoulder once more, she snatched up a medium sized copper pot as she followed the narrow hips off Leonardo up the stairs.

The bed room had grown darker since Leonardo had left, the early evening sky no longer bright enough to lend any light to the scene inside. Stepping in and to the side, he made room for Rosa to follow him as he scanned the apparently empty room.

- Ezio?...: Sudden waves of fear filled Leonardo as he tried to make his eyes penetrate the deepening shadow. Could he have left? no why would he have done that? but where...

And then he saw...

At first glance he was nothing but a pile off rags, but once seen the illusion was broken. Gentle touching Rosa's arm, Leonardo gestured to the form hurtled in the darkest corner off the room.

Ezio had pushed himself into the deepest shadow, he could find, before wrapping himself in the blanket.

- Ezio? I'm Back... i brought Rosa...

The tentative voice moved close, Ezio knew that he knew it, yet his dazed mind was working too slowly. Rosa the name filled him with images of playful black eyes, and slender fingers tangled in his hair. Rosa he needed her... and Leo... it was his Leonardo who was speaking to him in the same soft voice one would use on a frightened child.

Forcing his eyes to open, Ezio, wanted to rub at them, but his shoulders were too stiff and ached too deeply for him to even begin to lift his hands, with incidentally also throbbed and burned. Blinking instead, Ezio finally managed to focus on the two forms just outside of easy reach.

Wetting his lips with what tasted suspiciously like blood, all he could manage was a weak whispered

- Rosa... Leo... i...

Closing the distance between them Rosa laid a gentle warm hand on his icy cheek.

- Oddio Ezio! what happened?

- i. ... failed... i. ... ..i...

- ssssch mi amore, don't... just rest... you are safe now... you can tell us all of it once you have rested.

- yes Ezio you can rest now we will take care of you.

Careful hands pulled him closer, until he rested against them both, safely cocooned between them. Even the pain from the numerous wounds and injuries couldn't penetrate the feeling of being home as it settled over the exhausted assassin. This was where he belonged, in the arms off those he trusted and loved with his entire being.

Tears came once more, flowing in scalding lines, down his freezing cheeks. Safe, finally after an eternity in hell had he reached a heaven he had thought forever beyond him. Clinging to both their warm bodies, he let go of the first layers of pain that had wrapped itself around him. Here he didn't have to be strong, here he could finale allow himself to acknowledge, the damage done to his body and mind. And after the constant fear off them being captured it was enough just to know that they were alive, and seemed safe, to make the enormous tension that held him in its clutches finally dissolve allowing him to relax.

Slowly the heat from their bodies began to force the cold induced numbness away, once more awakening the nerves in his body. Pain pure and undiluted roared through him as a hand grazed an infected burn on his shin, drawing an agonized whimper from his raw lips.

It was such a small sound, so innocent, yet it gave birth to a frenzied activity. Strong arms slipped under his skinless back and swollen knees, igniting agony so strong, it refused to form sound. And all he was left with was black and white stars, bursting in front of his eyes and the burning taste of bile in his mouth, as he gasped for air while Leonardo carried him to the bed.

The mattress was soft and comfetable, he knew that it was, yet now it felt more like a bed of red hot nails, as his raw and bloodied back connected with it. This time the cry spilled easily from his lips as his back arched in an effort to escape.

- ssssch Ezio... don't fret... please.

Slender cool fingers flew over his armour releasing worn clasps and poorly bound straps, it was only a matter of minutes, but to Ezio it felt like an eternity, as he fought to stay still under their hands.

The cold air, made him shiver and his Teeth clatter as his robes and tunic were removed.

- Cold... so... cold.. Leo... please,: His hand moved weakly as he gestured towards the cherry red embers in the fireplace. It was not that it had burned out, it was just that his body felt like he was still swimming in the freezing water of the grand canal.

- Yes i know carro mio, just let me get this wet clothes off you first.

Leonardo's strong hands wrapped around the soaked leather, of his left boot, pulling Ezio's attention back to what was happening to his equipment and cloth.

Fear instantly brought a razor focus to the assassin, Leonardo was preparing pull his boots off, not knowing the state of Ezio's feet. Yet the boots had to come off, Ezio knew that, and so he kept his pleas silent.

Pressing his teeth together and squeezing his eyes shut, Ezio couldn't keep himself from whimpering, as the boot was pulled clear, taking most of the skin on his foot sole with it, in a sudden burst of whit hot agony.

Blinking against the encroaching darkness, Ezio couldn't keep from smiling down at the petrified look off horror on Leonardo's face. His gentle artist was reduced to tears as he whispered: I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry: over and over again.

Reaching out towards the artist Ezio whispered: Il mio ...dolce... Leonardo... you are. ... not... the cause... it was... the... Borgia.. bastardo... he mmmh

The racking cough caught him off guard, as it ripped through him lifting off the already soaked sheets. Shivering Ezio heaved for air, between each cough oblivious to anything but the all-consuming need to breathe, and the agony it brought to his shattered ribs to do so. Four hands descended on him, lifting him from the mattress, rubbing the small patches off unhurt skin on his back and chest, and finale holding him up as his own strength failed...

Air cool and soft filled his aching chest, slowly everything flowed back into focus, bringing with it the many different layers off pain, which covered him.

Soft arms lifted him as a warm glass was held against his cold lips.

- Please Ezio drink this it will take the pain and allow you to rest... Please

Rest, oh how he wanted to rest, and heal, and be safe. His lips parted allowing Rosa to pour the warm sweet tasting liquid into his mouth, it was warm and coated his raw throat as he swallowed it, its pleasant heat pooling in his empty stomach soothing an ache he had long forgotten.

The heat seemed to grow, and fill him, relaxing him against the slender warmth of Leonardo's chest, once more, as Rosa's fingers caressed his face, and hair.

Darkness loomed but it was the safe darkness off being home in the arms of those who loved him, and it was a darkness he was glad to embrace.

White sands spread out before him, in a vast wasteland, while bright golden and white eagles circled lazily above him.

he heard their cries beaconing him to join them, to soar, as they did, and it flooded his soul with longing.

One great eagle dove.

But to shed his flesh would trap him here, lock him here in this wasteland, throwing up his arms he shielded himself from the plummeting eagle screaming: NO.

The eagles curved beak opened emitting a shrill cry, its words clearly heard, as it barely missed his shoulders.

- it must be shed... my son soar free... soar.

- But father, the creed... your vengeance... i cannot shed it yet, i still have need off it.

- nothing is true... all is permissible...

great wings beat, lifting the white dust into a vortex its strength enough to rip flesh from bone, yet it did not touch him as he stood in its eye...

raising naked arms to the roaring fury he threw back his head.

the cry off the eagle faded as darkness grew.