For a moment, she thought she had gone through purgatory, hell and she finally reached heaven. For once, she was neither burning nor freezing; everything felt right. That is until she tried stretching her body. Forgotten pains and aches flared up and protested at her every move. She tentatively opened one eye, afraid it had been an illusion and that she was still in her cell. Her eye was greeted by rays of warm light diffused by a lantern to her left. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as her body relaxed and she let her head sink her soft pillow. Though her body was still in rough shape, the simple fact of having a comfortable bed under her brought her a sense of appeasement she thought she'd never feel again. After a moment of respite, her curiosity overtook her. She ignored her body's many objections and sat up. The bed was level with the floor and a light linen sheet covered her legs. A small metal lantern laid not too far away the bed, projecting symmetric shadows upon the wall's many rich tapestries. The floor was strewn with cushions and more rugs which appeared only as colorful stains in the girl's damaged eyes. She looked down and noticed that she had been changed into a simple white nightgown and that fresh bandages were now resting on her wrists and hands. Her gaze grew somber and her arms plopped down on her laps inertly. What if she never healed? What if she stayed... She turned her gaze away from her wounded hands, not wanting to linger on painful thoughts.

Her eyes soon fell upon a small wooden platter on which sat a fresh loaf of bread and a tea pot. She crawled her way towards it and eagerly grabbed the warm bread. She was about to dig her teeth in it when she was hit by memories of her meals in the cell. She felt a tug at her stomach and knew she wouldn't be able to keep it down had she taken a bite of it. She placed it back on the platter, a small pained expression resting on her lips. It would take more than a good night's sleep for her memories to stop haunting her in her waking steps. She shuddered and drank some of the tea, trying to get rid of the lasting cold that has settled in her spine while she was still in the dreaded chamber. The drink soothed her throat and for once she didn't feel like it was made of burning sand. She tried focusing on the patterns on the rugs she was sitting on, but her eyes still couldn't focus and all she could decipher was a blend of oddly shaped orange specks in a sea of red. She shook her head and went back to her bed where she sat for a while, starring aimlessly around at the room, wondering about the fire and her rescuer. She wrapped the delicate linen around her shoulders gently laid down once again on the bed. Even though she felt like she had slept for a century, her body was still demanding more of the curative slumber.


When she awoke, the first thing she noticed was that another cover had been placed on her. She looked around and noted that the tray was gone and the lantern had been dimed. She tried to get up but her knees buckled underneath her. She fell gauchely on a nearby pillow big enough to cushion her drop. She cursed softly before wrapping her emaciated arms around her sore body. She crawled towards the wall and, once at its base, used it for support. Standing on her two feet was painful; it felt as if she was walking on hot coal. The weight of her body seemed almost too much for her feet to bear and they felt as though they would burst at any second. Her legs weren't better either; her atrophied muscles ached after every movement she made. She could barely make a few steps without having to pause and let her legs rest. She could feel the tears brimming in her eyes, blurring furthermore her vision. She sat down on a hassock and rested for a while, trying her best to clear her mind. Her consciousness danced from reveries to reality, shifting between nightmares and dreams, memories and thoughts about her present situation, until something that smelt good lured her into reality for good. It was something new to her, something extraordinary.

She inhaled another time, filling her nose to the brim with a delicious aroma. Without much thought, she got on her wobbly legs and made for the wooden door, stumbling a few times as she did. She pushed it open and looked at the new room that lay before her eyes. Although everything was blurred and indistinct, she was sure no one was there. She walked with eyes almost completely closed, following her nose and leaning on everything, from chairs to tables, to get closer to the enchanting perfume. After a few long minutes of stumbling around in what she guessed to be the main hall of the building, she finally entered the room from which the smell emanated. On a table next to a ceramic stove sat a large bowl containing a blur of rich colours. She cautiously dipped her finger into the dish, staining her bandages, before bringing them to her mouth. She didn't remember tasting something as rich and flavoursome. Without a second thought, she dug her hand into the food and gulped down large portion of the food down her throat and to her grumbling stomach. The food seemed to weigh painfully on her stomach and she feared it would rip open. But she was lost in a trance and couldn't stop eating. Her stained bandages were a flash as she stuffed more food inside her mouth. The more she ate, the hungrier she became and the more she felt the urge to eat. She had difficulty breathing normally and she didn't bother chewing anymore. A dark veil dropped over her eyes and she heard a dull thud as her head hit the floor.


Ezio walked into his hideout, not knowing if all his apprentices and the other assassins had returned. After a quick look in the library and the office, he knew for sure that he was the first one home.

"Still the fastest." he chuckled.

He walked towards the room where he had left the girl from the Templar den. He was still puzzled as to who she was. He had asked all the master assassins across the land but none had reported a missing female agent and neither the thieves nor the Romanies had reported someone absent in their ranks. He pushed the door open and cast a look at the room. He frowned as he noticed the girl was missing. He jogged towards the sitting room, hoping she would be there. The girl hadn't left the den, that he was absolutely sure. It was only a matter of time before he found her. He turned around, vision transferring to that of an eagle's, and walked back to her door. From there he followed the golden outline of the girl's path. The trail wasn't hard to follow but the man was troubled by its shape as it wavered and swayed, showing that she was still very weak in her legs. He could see where she had fallen and the stools she had tripped over. The golden imprints eventually lead to the kitchen where he found the girl on the floor, passed out with grains of semoul on her hands and face. He kneeled down next to her and determined she was sleeping for the moment and wasn't sick or injured. A short sigh escaped his nose as he pressed his fingers against his forehead. He hadn't the slightest clue what he'd do with this girl. Usually when they encountered prisoners in the Templar base they'd set them free but she seemed far too damaged to take off any time soon. He cast the thought aside and decided to concentrate on the matter at hand: bringing her back to her room to rest. He picked her up in his arms and carried her effortlessly back to her bed, noticed just how gaunt her body was.


Something cool pressed against her mouth, waking her in a startle. The wet cloth was withdrawn from her lips as the hooded man dipped it in a bowl of water. Dread poisoned the girl's blood as she heard the rag lap against the water. She feared her ordeal would start over and the man would splash the water against her face and question her, asking her questions she didn't know the meaning and much less their answer.

"You passed out in the kitchen after eating almost half of the couscous. I don't know whether I should be impressed by it or worried about the fact that now we don't have enough food to feed all the apprentices." Said the man with a chuckle as he fiddled with the rag.

She sat up, fear in her eyes. She mentally berated herself, cursing her hunger. If only she had stayed in her room. Why didn't she stay in her room? How dare she eat food that wasn't hers? She could only start to imagine her punishment. She took in a few sharp breaths, her mind racing. She tried to speak but a strangled whimper was all that rolled off her tongue. She swallowed in a panic and tried again.

"Please… Sorry…" She managed to squeeze, voice only a cracked whisper.

Before he could say anything, the girl laid before him in an act of supreme submission.

"No pain… Please… No pain…" she croaked, her throat aching and burning like it had the night of the fire.

She would do anything in order to avoid getting hurt by others again. She didn't have any pride and she couldn't see why or how she could. The man laid a hand on her shoulder and helped her into a sitting position. He looked straight into her eyes. A white cloud seemed to obstruct her vision and though she was looking at him, Ezio felt she wasn't seeing him. A small shiver ran down his spine and he suddenly felt sorry for her. She was so damaged for a girl her age.

"I am not here to hurt you. No one will harm you as long as you are under my protection." He said, voice low and full of determination.

The room fell silent.

"I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. What is your name?"

Her eyes fell to the ground as she raked her mind for an answer. But she only found a void echoing back at her. Her body seemed to withdraw itself, curling up slightly as she thought over and over about his question.

"What about your family? Do you know anyone here in Istanbul?" He continued, his voice tinted with barely audible concern.

She shook her head slightly but her body kept retracting itself. Her mind was racing, scrambling for an answer, more for her sake then to answer Ezio. There a loud knock at the wooden doors, interrupting her thoughts.

"Mentor, Yusuf requires your assistance in the library."

Ezio looked at the girl once more, mixed feelings welling up inside him. He could see the distress floating in her milky gaze. He sighed as grabbed the linen cover and gently brought it up to the girl's chin.

"Get some rest." He said in her direction before getting up and leaving, closing the door almost noiselessly behind him.


Hope you enjoyed it so far! Reviews are always welcomed!