Disclaimer: Haven't bought Bungie yet, so I still don't own Assassin's Creed or anything involved.
Chapter 2
A soft sigh escaped my lips as my eyes opened to narrow slits, staring up at the midday sun. I must've drowsed off, for it appeared several hours had passed by unnoticed. The hustle and bustle of the crowded streets had managed to somehow increase, creating an almost living road of peasants and guard patrols. Even with the war ongoing, it seemed there was no end to the guards and soldiers that inhabited the city, enforcing 'order' in the streets. Heh…order. They took what they wanted and damned the consequences, of which there were rarely any. As I sat up, I quickly realized how dry my throat was. I was parched with thirst, inside my neck feeling like it just had coarse oats scratched along the skin. Coughing, I summoned up some liquid from my mouth, swallowing. Not much better, but a lot less uncomfortable. Clouds dotted the sea-blue sky above my upturned head, the white wisps scattered like patchwork over the bustling city. Birds and gulls continued to circle above, searching for any piece of scrap food they could consume to sate their constant hunger. Even at the thought of scraps, my stomach gave a loud growl, demanding to be fed. Patting the dress covering the skin, I shook my head. I'd eat when the day was over and done; there was too much to do during the light to waste any time on eating. No doubt my mother, the irritable whore she was, had also somehow forgotten to leave enough money for me to buy my own meal, on top of the supplies she had requested. A shout drew my attention as men and women suddenly parted in the street, expressions of confusion and concern on their faces. Several shouts followed as the men and women cleared the way in the center of the street as they usually did when trouble aroused. Charging through the now vacant portion of the cobblestone, half a dozen city guards sprinted towards the upper district of the city, swords drawn and held high. Their red and white tabards flapped in the air as the group ran, shoving the occasional daft onlooker to the side. My stomach clenched at the sight of drawn steel, and I quickly sat up to watch. The armored men looked from side to side, some pausing in the courtyard as they tossed glances at the assembled onlookers.
"Which way did he go!?"
"Find him, he's getting away!"
Shouts of confusion, irritation and pure anger sounded from the group of soldiers as they moved onwards, armor glinting in the afternoon sun. The sound of pursuit faded as the men ran into the upper district, the clink of armor and thundering of plate boots fading into the background of the city. Shrugs and mild explanations were given by the passing crowd as the sight was quickly forgotten. Fiddling with a stray strand of hair, I also let the memory fade, adding it up to a thief or ruffian causing some trouble. As I leaned back against the wall, I remembered this was a public bench, and glanced to my left to see if anyone had joined me. Time froze as I caught sight of white robes fluttering in the soft wind that had picked up. Worn leather boots were firmly planted on the ground, forest-brown pants leading up to a belt covered with knives and holding a sheathed sword. The mark of a Christian crusader or scribes of the churches adorned his white chest, hands clasped between his legs as he sat. A hood covered his face from sight, and if his chest hadn't betrayed his slow breathing, I would've assumed him only a detailed statue. My breath froze in my throat as I remembered that night all those years ago, and I opened my mouth to speak.
"Halt in the name of the king!" I screamed as I felt hands on my shoulder, almost fainting before I heard the high pitched squeal-laughter that followed. Whirling my head about, I came face to face with a bright-faced girl, who currently was holding her chest as she overflowed with laughter. I swore I could even see a few tears flow from her fair face, and growled low in my throat, cheeks burning red.
"In the name of God, Athera, what is wrong with you!?" The girl giggled, giving my shoulder a push as her voice returned to it's proper, lady-like demeanor.
"If you could only see your face, Sara! You're so easy to scare!" Groaning, I let my hand fall into my palm. No doubt half the courtyards heard my scream, and were staring at me this very moment. Damn that girl pissed me off sometimes. Abruptly, I remembered the man and whipped my head back around, eyes searching frantically. The only activity on the bench was a slumbering man at the far side, a hat over his head to protect him from the sun. The white being had simply…gone. Turning back around, I faced my friend who was waving a clean, trimmed hand in front of my face.
"Hello, anyone home? Wake up you!" Softly smacking the hand away with my own, I flashed a ragged smile at the girl.
"Shut it, you're not the one who actually gets scared at that phrase." Shrugging, the girl giggled again and plopped down beside me, her dress fluttering about her feet. Athera was the daughter of some noble in upper Acre, brought up to be the perfect lady who would one day be courted by another noble for some political reason and live her life out happily. For some reason, the idea hadn't struck the girl as 'ideal', and though she was quite the natural born proper lady in her own home, in the city, she was more of a street rat than Sara herself. Free-flowing black hair draped from her head down past her shoulders, while her blue eyes fixed Sara with the same assessing stare currently being given. Dressed in peasants clothing, her origin of birth was given away by several factors, namely her tidy, washed hair, clean skin, soft hands, and beautiful smile. Was I jealous, oh words cannot describe it. But it wasn't like either of them could control life; they had been born into different stations of life, and they had to accept that. All the pretending in the world wouldn't turn Athera into a peasant, nor Sara into a queen.
"Do we intend to stare at one another all day, Sara?" Rolling my eyes, I quickly stood, brushing down my linen dress.
"Got anything better in mind? And quick talking like a noble, it freaks me out." I spit to the side to emphasize the point, earning a shocked and disgusted stare from the fellow teenager. The look was quickly replaced by one of excitement as she clasped her hands over mine.
"As a matter of fact, I do. There's going to be a hanging today!" I gasped, eyes filling with excitement. Heretics to the church being hung or defected soldiers being quartered, it was always such a lift to see the power of the city enforced against its enemies. It showed us King Henry was still doing his part to bring the Holy Lands back into rightful Christian control, not to mention all the dock-boys somehow managed to attend. No doubt a few of them would be looking for something more after the show was over, too. My voice betrayed my emotions clearly, wavering with excitement.
"Where? I hadn't heard anything!" Giggling at my obvious enthusiasm, the daughter of royalty pointed across the courtyard towards the inner city.
"It's being held in the middle district. They're letting in everyone today; even peasants like you! If we hurry, we can get a good place to watch!" Practically leaping forward, I grabbed the girl's soft hand and sprinted off into the city, dragging her along. I even ignored the comment about peasants, my excitement was so great. Rarely were occasions like this opened for all to see, the lower folk of the city having to sneak their way in. Even the sudden appearance of the white-clad man was completly forgotten as I pushed my way through the throngs of merchants and beggars, grinning like a madman. The day had suddenly taken an amazing turn, and there was no way I would let it pass by.
I also apologize for not writing for, what, four months now? I got so much positive review, I went back to my actual novel and wrote almost two hundred pages and realized I owed you guys for your praise, and thus am finishing this story. I promised lemons, and so soon, lemons there shall be! In the near future anyways. Oh, and sometime later in this story, i'll be taking requests for lemony scenes that you wish were in existance but aren't. Right now, I just need to catch up on this writing.