Hey guys, sorry that this chapter was late to be published. I've been busy with work and I was hoping that Ubisoft would put up another AC:U video sometime during the writing process, but alas, they have not.

Anyway, I have been doing more research on the French Revolution and some of Paris's most famous landmarks; which means I have a few ideas for some new chapters, but I first need to fill in the details about how our protagonist gets there.

In other news, I'm deciding to pick up live streaming since my PS4 has a nice little share button where the select used to be which will allow me to air Unity on the day of release. If any of you may be interested in that, links to my account info is in my profile description.

And to the last thing in the news, Matt Ryan, Edward Kenway's voice actor, is going to play John Constantine in the upcoming NBC show, Constantine. I'm really happy he is finally getting a major role and I believe the show airs sometime in late October around the release of AC:U.

And to conclude my rant: Enjoy.

Chapter 4: Birthday Wishes

Although the air grew crisp with the nearing winter chill, I still find comfort under one of the flying buttresses of the Paroisse Sainte-Eustache. Only a week had passed since our little slip up at the Place d'Armes, and I was already going mad at the lack of activities I could do inside the bureau that had become my prison. Alphonse made sure both Oliver and Tristan were productive without Zacharie and I; giving them easier assignments to pass the time until the two of us were healed, but we all knew better.

The streets were always calm this time of the year. The poor were forced to seek shelter, and with the depleting rations all across France, most had to preserve their energy if they wanted to survive. With little chance of storming a palais on our own, the assassins are forced to wait until the opportunities arise again.

I hear the familiar scrape of wood on stone causing my ears to twitch at the sound. My fellow injured friend was never really good at maintaining complete silence during stealth, at least, not to a trained individual. With a smile on my lips, I glance up at the buttress to stare into the brown eyes of my comrade.

"And to what honor do I owe for you to grace me with your presence?" I joke as the assassin reluctantly used his one good arm to clamber down the structure. He lands with a harsh thud next to me before joining at my side to sit and watch the night life of Paris.

His smile is light and barely noticeable even without his usual brown hood as he reaches into the inner pockets of his blue waistcoat. To my shock, he produces a dark leather-bound book and a thin, off-white cloth that was rolled up and held in place by twine. "Happy birthday," he congratulates as I hesitantly take the gift in my hands.

With a loss of words, I mutter a thank you and examine the contents in my possession. The layers of parchment in the book were blank of any marks while the cloth held thin-carved pieces of charcoal. How did he know?

"We noticed that you finished your last book some time ago, so we thought we would surprise you for your birthday," Zacharie explains while scratching the back of his neck.

"It's wonderful. Thank you," I reply; still in shock. We never really get to celebrate with one another as much as we like to; especially in our line of work , but the small things count. "You guys did this because I'm temporarily crippled, didn't you?"

He chuckles and holds both his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "If there is a subtle hint here, it did not occur to me."

I smile before placing the items on my lap. "Well, thank you anyway. I didn't think you guys would remember."

His lips form into a playful pout. "It's cruel to think of us as incapable of remembering your special day."

"Since we are on the topic of you three, where did Alphonse send Oliver and Tristan today?"

Zach sighs as he relaxes against the cool, stone wall. "Apparently they get to investigate that brothel without us. I was really hoping I would be well enough to join them."

"You need to start getting laid more if you think you are going to get lucky at a brothel while on an assignment," I joke which causes him to pout once again.

"You never know. I could be offered a free room one day for putting an end to an abusive owner," he remarks causing me to laugh.

"And then we would be forced to treat you with quicksilver to get rid of whatever disease you get."

"…Not all of them….have diseases," he mutters making me laugh harder. "At least I'm not a virgin."

I fake a hurtful stare, but my smile gives it away. "And what if I'm saving myself for the right person?"

He scoffs while nudging my shoulder lightly with his elbow. "We both know you don't plan on ever getting married."

"I know, but…I don't know…It's complicated!"

"No it's not!….Wait…have you had the 'talk' yet?" I reel back my fist and release all my strength onto Zacharie's good arm. His eyes flinch as he clenches his jaw and moves his hand to cover the forming bruise. "Has anyone every told you that you punch like a guy?"

"More so than you, and yes…I've had the 'talk'…." I mutter while crossing my arms over my chest while sulking.

He just laughs at me before nudging my shoulder once again. "Come on, let's get back inside before Alphonse finds out. I'm sure he is not going to like the idea of you finding a loophole to his orders."

A heavy sigh escapes my lips before I frown. Inside the church meant chores, musty air and boredom. Why couldn't our mentor allow me one day of peace on the streets of Paris? It wasn't like I was going to cause mayhem; my leg would not allow that.

"You coming?" my comrade asks whom was already up on his feet and standing over the ledge of the building.

"Yeah, go on without me. I'll be down there in a moment," I reply. I can tell he is reluctant, but he nods anyway before leaping off the edge. I know it is too much to ask for, but I only want a few more moments of serenity.

Shaking my head, I let the problems that lay inside be scrambled away for another time before pushing myself off the tile of the roof and into the hay wagon waiting below.

X

Normally when I hear the pitter-patter of feet followed by the sound of dull metal on hay dummies, I automatically assume it's one of my comrades training in the foyer. However, the light steps and rustle of cloth did not identify with any familiar resonance I've heard before. Curious, I grab my makeshift crutch made from old wine barrel parts and delicately make my way pass the altar and into the chancel.

Upon seeing the source of the mysterious sound, I nearly forget how to breathe. Circling the three hay dummies in the middle of the foyer was a tall, thin figure; however, his cloak and waistcoat were missing from his torso, leaving him only in his trousers and gaiters. He stands upright with his back straight, his cutlass in his right hand, and his left arm behind his back as he dances like a feather around the mannequins. With elegance, he slices the torso of the figures with an upward, fluid motion while never once falling out of step.

Just like a fencer…

I was almost in a trance on how graceful he appears as he attempts the same gesture but with a different approach. After watching Tristan, Oliver, and Zacharie fight for so long, I forget that others, like myself, choose a different style than just using strength to take down our enemies.

I don't even realize that the man had stopped until his honey-colored eyes fixate on my blue ones, locking me in place. His dark-brown bangs are matted to his forehead from the sweat, and I'm sure the tip of his hair is doing the same on the back of his neck. His lips twitch upward on his unshaven face as he extends his arms outwards and bows lightly.

"Good evening, madame," he welcomes before glancing down at his shirtless form. "Excuse-moi. Normally I would never be this underdressed."

"Dorian?" I ask out of shock.

His smile turns into a smirk. "You seem surprised."

I shake my head and divert my eyes to anything but him. "Forgive me, I thought you would be out on an assignment like the others."

"I would have been, but it seems the citizens were quicker to my target than I, and because of this circumstance, Alphonse allowed for the day off."

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from cursing. Our mentor would allow Arno a day of freedom, but kept Zacharie and I prisoners until we were healed. It was a bit unfair.

"Have you always known how to fight like that?" I question in order to change the topic. My eyes avert back to his as I make myself comfortable on a nearby pew.

"Not always," he replies as he twirls his cutlass in his hand. "My skills were very unrefined until I joined the assassins."

I nod. "I've never met anyone in the Brotherhood who has chosen the combat you use. It's…elegant…."

Another smirk ghosts across his lips. "Merci beaucoup, madame(Thank you very much, madam)."

"However, it could use some touching up," I interject causing his smile to falter. "You are light on your feet and able to move fast, but what if you are in a situation that requires you to fight an opponent using brute force? Not every opponent will be easy. There will be times when you are trapped with no room to move and if you are under-prepared to fight with pure strength and strategy, then you will die."

"Have you ever been in such a situation?" he asks as if testing me.

With a look of indifference, I move the collar of my shirt to expose the skin on my left shoulder. A hideous ridged scar that formed at the edge of my collar bone arced its way over my shoulder and ended half way down my back. "Yes," I reply as my eyes never left his face. He presses his lips into a thin line while his cat-like eyes widen at the sight of the scar. "I'm lucky to have kept my arm."

His eyes find mine again and he seems to struggle when speaking. "And whom may I ask to train me in such a manner?"

"Tristan is your best bet. Him or Alphonse, but the latter is normally busy," I reply.

"You learned to fight from Tristan?"

I nod. "He is tough on you, but you will never regret the training."

"And what of Oliver or Zacharie? Do they use the same style of combat?"

I shake my head. "Oliver is like you in a way: quick and prefers movement, but he also never attacks headstrong. If you ever need pistol or rifle practice, I would suggest him. Zacharie, on the other hand, his weapon of choice is normally a spear or mace; which generally drives him to run headlong into folly."

"And what about you?"

My eyes travel to my hurt leg that was currently propped up on a barrel. "I'm the…I guess you could say stealthy one, but I do know how to hold my own in a fight."

He nods as if he understands; I wonder if he really does. "So," he starts as he moves toward the pew in front of me and makes himself comfortable while not once taking his eyes off my face. "How have you stayed busy in the past couple of days?"

Well that was certainly a change of topic. "I…uh… just kept to chores I guess. Not much else to do around here…"

"Alphonse still will not let you leave for fresh air?"

I nod as I avert my eyes to the training dummies in the room. "This is a passive-aggressive punishment for the failed assignment in Versailles. I can only assume that he will let Zacharie and I free as soon as next week….At least he is allowing me rest for once."

"Why not sneak out for a bit while he is busy?"

I nearly choke on the air I am breathing as soon as the thought enters my mind. "You want me to disobey orders from the man whose size alone could crush my head like a grape?"

Arno shrugs. "You are an assassin, non? You sacrifice your life so that all can be free, and yet here you are, caging yourself under orders."

"It's more complicated than that-"

"Why is it? Because you've spent your entire life behind a some form of bars and all you know is what people tell you to do?"

Okay, perhaps he knew the situation a little too well. "Even if I didn't have the orders, where would I go? What would I do? As you can see I'm a bit crippled at the moment."

A smirk plays at the corners of the man's lips. "Let me get dressed and I'll show you."

X

To my amazement, Arno had managed to sneak the two of us plus a horse out of the bureau while everyone inside slept soundly. We only traveled a few blocks down the road until we came across the familiar sight of Rue de

Rivoli where the beautiful sight of the Tuileries Gardens could be seen from the hillside.

"Are we about to do something stupid and crazy?" I ask as my companion slides from the saddle before helping me to the ground. He quickly ties the horse's reins to a post in front of a shop and lifts me from my feet with ease.

"Only if you consider it to be that way," he remarks as we approach the surrounding perimeter of the garden.

Unlike the Place d'Armes, the Tuileries Garden does not have a blockade between the street and the greenery; however, since the march in Versailles, surveillance of the royal family living inside the palais had increased. Not even the King could leave the comfort of his home without having a small army surrounding his location.

Even with me in his arms, Arno is light on his feet as we pass the threshold into the garden and lay low in the shrubbery. The guards seem none the wiser about our entry onto the perimeter and continue on with their business as we continue deeper into the restricted area until I could make out the Bassin Octogonal. Arno's muscles tense causing his hold to tighten around my small form before he dives behind the hedges outlining the man-made pond. Gently, the assassin sets me on the ground before examining our surroundings carefully. After five or so minutes of him double checking, he sits at my side and we both sit in silence as we observe the beauty of the garden.

I didn't think I would ever get to enjoy the ability to sight see this jardin in my life. With all the wonderful places I've visited since I've joined the assassins, I never had the opportunity to take in my surroundings like I was doing now. It was probably the best feeling in the world.

"Are you glad I talked you into it?" Arno asks as he nudges me with his elbow.

"Yeah," I reply with a smile on my lips. "It's beautiful."

I feel him shift uncomfortably by my side as his fists clench every now and then. "Happy birthday," he finally congratulates causing my attention to turn towards him.

"How did you know?" I question making him smile.

"I overheard the others discussing what to get you a few days ago. After that, I just had to figure out when they planned on giving you your gift."

"Why did you decide to do this if we hardly know each other?"

He shrugs. "I'm sure being stuck in the same place for more than a few days would drive anyone mad by now. And it's your birthday…you deserve the fresh air."

I return the smile. "Well…thank you. This really does mean a lot."

"Je vous en prie(You're welcome)," he replies while his gaze turns back to the pond.

Although I hardly know the man, I feel like Arno is going to be a nice addition to our misfit family.