A/N: I do not own Assassin's Creed or its characters.

The girl rounded a corner, her skirts gathered up in her hands, hair wild and eyes wide, trying to see in the darkness.

Behind her, she could hear the men's voices calling to her, taunting. Their torch grew brighter, and her heart stopped as she was faced with a wall. A dead end. Her hands pressed into the stones, curving around a handhold, then another. She kept going, pulling herself onto the roof just as the men rounded her corner.

"You think you can outrun us because you're up there? Come on, sweet, come play!" Their arms were thicker than hers, and they climbed much faster.

She was sweating, and her breathes were harder to gather as she ran to the other end of the roof, looking desperately up at the other buildings. They were considerably taller than the one she was on.

"No where to run now, darling." She started shaking, hugging her arms and backing up to the edge, looking over her shoulder at the street below. Far enough to seriously injure herself.

"Leave me!" She ordered, trying to sound more courageous than she felt. She received drunken laughter instead of compliance. She squeezed her eyes shut as they came closer, and turned away.

A rustle of cloth and the sound of boots crunching in front of her, as well as a wave of air made her look again.

A pair of broad shoulders was in front of her, as if shielding her away from the men.

"W-What?! Assassin!" The a couple of the once cocky and dangerous men turned tail and ran, but a couple of the men drew swords and advanced. The man in front of her turned, and grabbed her around the waist.

"Quiet." he ordered softly, jumping off the building. She pressed her face into his shoulder, biting her lip and the urge to scream as air rushed past her.

They landed in a pile of hay, quite unharmed.

They listened as the confused men went away, their mutters and grumbles from the roof fading away.

The man helped her from the hay, and she looked at him. Dressed in white, with leather, a red sash, and a hood. She couldn't see his face.

"Are you really an assassin...?" She asked quietly, brushing the hay from herself. The man nodded, after a moment.

"Yes."

"Are you going to harm me?" She asked bluntly, bracing herself to run again if needed. He seemed surprised.

"If I wanted harm to come your way, I would not have saved you." He said softly. "Are you injured?" She was taken aback by the soft tones. She would never have guessed an assassin could have such tones.

"No, thank you. For...saving me." She forced the words out. She hated the fact she had needed help, but she had and he had supplied it, so thanks was necessary.

"You are welcome, child."

"I am hardly a child. I am 14." She said, eyebrows knitting.

"...A child. What are you doing here at this time of night?" He asked, and she fidgeted.

"My mother and I are here visiting relatives. I was...wandering and became lost." Her lips said 'wandering', but her eyes said 'exploring' and she knew he saw it.

"Where are you staying?" She relayed the information, and he realized, with a dull interest that he had assassinated a traitor just outside that very residence not too long ago.

"I know of the place. Follow me." She looked confused for a moment, but nodded.

"Thank you." It was silent, but neither felt out of place. One knew of the other, the other did not. Altair watched the girl from the corner of his eye. He had used all his patience to not kill the men where they stood. And the only reason against doing so was that he didn't want her to see such bloodshed; needed or not.

"What's your name, sir?" He barely heard her, coming out of his reverie.

He couldn't risk the thought of her remembrance.

"Not of importance at the moment." She was quiet.

"I'm Aden. Thank you, again. I'm not sure...I'm not sure what I would have done had it not been for you." She whispered, and he stopped, putting a hand under her chin and making her look at him.

"Next time I won't be there to save you. For your own sake, do not 'wander' at such a time...Promise me, Aden, that you will do this." He said softly, and she blinked at the request. He could see the question in her eyes. He knew she would be confused at an Assassin's request for her to do so, but at the moment he felt that he could care less.

"Promise me, Aden."

"I promise, assassin." She said quietly, and hesitantly put her arms around his neck, hugging him for a moment. He held her, before gently pushing her back.

"This is your residence. Goodnight, Aden." And he disappeared, into the darkness once again, where he blended in, watching Aden enter the household.

"Be safe, Aden."

And he disappeared into the dead of night.