Hey everyone! This chapter was a pain to write. Maybe it's just because half-way through a story I get writer's block. ALL THE TIME. That's why my chapters are SO BLOODY SHORT.

Anyway, enjoy! Constructive criticism would be welcome!

Once they were out of the bureau building, Anisah was once again pushed into a wall by Altair. This time, however, he kept his body away from hers and his hand was at her throat, slowly getting tighter. He lifted her off the ground. Anisah began to panic. She was at the mercy of a killer.

"Don't think I don't know you lied about how you followed me here," Altair accused. "Irfan may be an idiot, but I certainly am not."

"W-what? I d-don't know what you're--"

"Save the excuses," he growled. "It rained for the past 3 nights. There's no possible way you could have followed my blood from a week ago. And even if there were to be, there was so little of a blood trail, I doubt you could have picked it up. So, how did you find me?"

Anisah held down her fear and replied, "Like I would tell you. Face it; you don't trust me and I don't trust you. Especially not after the fact that you've threatened to take my life multiple times!"

Altair's grip tightened as Anisah began to pry at his fingers. "Yet, you seem not to value it. You put on a show of nonchalance but I know better." He lowered his mouth to her ear to whisper. "I can feel you trembling. You don't want to die. You may act tough but I can see through your pathetic facade. You're nothing but a scared little girl who wants nothing more than to escape and tell her father about a madman who hurt her. Well, in case you don't know, child, there isn't going to be much of an opportunity to--"

Anisah's fist connected with Altair's face. The vice on her neck was gone as she gasped for air and slid to the ground. Altair looked furious and flabbergasted at the same time. "You've no right to act like you know my secrets. I don't even know my own secrets! I'm just as confused as you are. Maybe if you didn't act like such an arrogant, pompous bastard who wants me dead, I could trust you! Maybe if you--"

"How did you do that?" Altair interrupted in wonder.

"Do what? Hit you? Well, that's easy. I just raised my arm and--"

"No, how did you manage to knock me off my feet with one strike? Even city guards cannot accomplish that!"

"Oh. Well, I just hit you. I didn't do anything abnormal...Maybe you're just weak," Anisah taunted.

"Don't antagonize me," Altair snarled. "Or I'll leave you on the streets. Alone."

And with that comment, Anisah shut her mouth and walked in the general direction of her home. Her thoughts raced. To be honest, she didn't understand how she found him herself. She had been worrying if he had died from his wounds just because of stubbornness. It drove her mad until finally she decided to look for him while at the market. It was then that her vision had begun to flicker and things appeared to be glowing. Thinking something was terribly wrong, she had sat down on a bench. Something faintly glowing blue-white had caught her attention in the corner of her eye. She noticed droplets of brighter patches inside the fainter blue trail. A voice in the back of her head had told her to follow the path and lo and behold, it had led her to Altair. Since the event, she had been constantly seeing things that glowed. Sometimes, they were people whose colors ranged from a dark, dark blue to a bright pink. Sometimes, it was objects that emanated white. It scared her that she couldn't turn it off. So, she decided to speak up and ask Altair about it.

"Uh...Altair?" Anisah timidly called.

"What?" He snapped, clearly not over the fact that she had bested him.

"Does your vision ever, uh, glow?"

"Why do you ask?" Altair questioned, curiosity winning over his resentment.

"Simply curious," Anisah hung her head, feeling embarrassed.

"No, you're not 'simply curious'. Tell me the real reason you asked."

Her words were lost in a mumble of unintelligible murmurs.

"I can't understand you if you tell it to the ground," Altair sounded irritated.

"Because my vision is all strange and objects glow and I think something is really wrong and I think I might die from this!" Anisah all but yelled.

Altair's eyes widened. She had Eagle Vision! He would have to ask Al Mualim about that. Her last comment about dying, however, brought a smile to his face as he started to chuckle softly.

"This is serious! I didn't tell you so you could laugh at me!" Anisah turned red, both angry and embarrassed that he was laughing at her. "Keep laughing and I'll hit you again," she threatened.

That had an immediate effect. "Like I would let that happen," Altair scoffed, suddenly serious. "Anyway, you're not going to die. Your vision is not normal but what you have won't kill you. If anything, it will make chores much easier. Things you need, or will need, glow white. People, depending on their alliance with you, will glow blue or red. Blue is an ally or friend. Red is someone who does not like you and won't hesitate to hurt you."

"How do you know this?" Anisah asked.

"Because my vision is the same. Is it constant for you?"

"Yes," she said. "How do you make it stop?"

"You must relax first. It's a battle-ready reflex used for defending yourself. Once you fully relax, your vision should return to normal," Altair answered calmly. "After that, you could use it at your discretion." That answer wasn't entirely true. When you recieve the ability, it could take days to be able to relax enough for it to shut itself off. And even then, there was still a faint glow residue on everything.

"Alright," Anisah accepted the explaination. Maybe after she slept, it would go away. "Why do you glow blue and not red? I mean, you act like you want to kill me all the time yet you say blue is an ally's color."

"I'm helping you, aren't I?"

"Hmm," Anisah didn't sound convinced. As they approached her home, she found herself wishing that she lived farther away. Even though he was arrogant, snippy, pompous, and stubborn, she liked being around Altair. There was just something about him that she wanted to hurt yet kiss at the same time. Surprisingly, when she got to her door, Altair didn't leave as quickly as she expected him to. She took advantage of his pause and stepped forward to embrace him.

"Thank you," she whispered into his chest. He tensed as her arms wound around him but eventually returned the embrace awkwardly.

"I'm not going to lie and say it was not a problem," he smirked as she frowned. "But I didn't mind." And with that, he drew her close. Her body pressed solidly against him. She could feel his steady breaths as his chest expanded and deflated. The muscles of his abdomen were well-defined even through his thick robes. His smell was a mixture of something herbal (probably from the medicine on his wound), salty and something entirely his own. Anisah's heart pounded in her chest as he dipped his head to her level. Instead of kissing her like she expected, he whispered, "Remember to relax," and vanished.

Anisah groaned in frustration and heard a ghostly chuckle before she entered her home. It was going to be a long night.

----

Weeks passed. Sunlight peaked through the brown curtains of Anisah's room. Her sleeping form stirred gently as her mind slowly woke. The day was warm as her family began to bustle around downstairs.

Eagle eyes watched her awaken from the other side of the room. He was perched on her windowsill, wondering why he was even there, why he couldn't let one of the novices do this job. She wasn't supposed to mean anything to him yet she did. They weren't even supposed to have met yet they did. And now, because she had seen his face, she must either leave her family behind, or die by his hand. He didn't want her to die. He was there to give her that chance at survival.

"Anisah," he called.

"Hmm? What?" She muttered groggily. "Altair, what are you doing here?"

"You must come with me," he said intensely looking into her sleepy eyes.

"Why? Where are we going?"

"I have to take you away," it pained him to say it.

"Mm, for how long?" Sleep quickly faded from her voice.

"Forever."

"Is my family coming?" She asked.

"Yes," he lied. "Pack your things. They'll meet us later."

"Alright, let me say goodbye," she moved towards her door.

"There's no time! We must leave now, for their safety," Altair said, exasperated. "I already wrote a note for you." He retrieved a small piece of rolled paper from the inside of his robes. "Just place it on your bed. They'll know where to meet us," he lied again. Anisah would, most likely, never see them after he took her away to Masyaf.

"They're in danger?" Anisah questioned.

"Yes! Now, hurry up!"

After she had packed all of her things, he quickly led her through the streets to a horse he had prepared. He hoisted her up into the saddle and swung himself up behind her. She didn't even spare a glance backwards as they rode out of the city.

He wished that she had.

Hmm...Altair is really growing a heart, isn't he?
Please, review on your way out! (:
Constructive comments would be nice!