He had warned Altaïr not to get attached, as he watched the Assassin silently take care of the baby he could only frown as little streaks of jealously flared though him every time she giggled or cuddled into the other man. He was slowly getting attached and he knew it. He knew that she had at least a mother waiting for her and that they would have to return her but part of him wanted to keep her and he silently dreaded the day he had to hand her back. Zipora always managed to escape from Altaïr in his rare moments of deep concentration and the Dai often found her pulling at his robes wanting to be picked up or fed or she just wanted to smell him and because of her he was behind in his book keeping! Strangely though…he didn't much care – he could find time for her.

"Are you in love, Malik?" the question made his body jolt and he glared at the back of Altaïr's head, "it is just that I noticed how reluctant you were to give her back yesterday…"

"She was settled! You would have set her off and then there would be another sleepless night!" he said defensively, they both knew it was n excuse but said nothing, "do not think I have not seen you lurking around whenever I feed her – waiting for her to finish so you can swoop in."

"I am not denying that I have grown attached," he held her against himself gently and smiled affectionately as she hugged the ball he'd given her, "tomorrow she will have been within our care for five days. It will be the second day with no sign of her mother and I find that I want a third and fourth to follow." Somehow she had charmed the men into loving her, her persistence to be close to one or the other, her innocent smiles and guileless staring up at them had anchored deeply into their hearts.

Malik sighed in defeat, "it is a cruel thing to hope…though I wish it too. If she had been a boy we could take her to Masyaf, raise her in the fortress and train her."

"I do not see why woman can not join our ranks; Maria has proven as such…I have never been afraid of a man as much as I fear her."

"True…no! No, Altaïr, we have to give her back! You will no doubt have your own child to raise soon if you are so serious about that woman – we can not steal Zipora!"

They were silent again, Malik mentally kicking himself for using the name Altaïr had given her and Altaïr smiling at how deeply Malik was enamoured by her, "you too." The younger Assassin said as he set the baby down onto the pillows, her little head nodding as she fought off her sleepiness, "you will no doubt find yourself swamped in women once you leave this dingy little bureau."

"I like this dingy little bureau!" Malik said with a tinge of anger, what was wrong with his bureau? "I have never liked the women in Masyaf, they are all so 'hard' they are so used to living in close quarters with assassins it is like there softness is gone…though a soft woman would not look twice…" he unconsciously reached for an arm that he knew was not there. Malik had grown used to the loss of him arm, he could still do all the things he used to, he was still worthy of his Assassin rank and could do most things better than others with a little practise but when he wandered the market place for supplies he was hyper aware of people staring at him. People would try to be overly helpful as if they thought he was unable, some avoided him completely while others tried – and failed – to bully him…woman, especially ones that caught his eye would look at him with pity.

Altaïr growled low in his chest, guilt stinging deeply even though all was forgiven and they were closer than ever, "that is not true…you just are not looking hard enough. Besides, you are incredible with Zipora! What woman could resist such a house husband?"

"House husband? At least I can feed myself; you are a scavenger and if not for the bureaus and the kitchens at Masyaf you would starve or freeze or both!" throwing a pillow in Altaïr's laughing face only satisfied the Dai for a moment. His mood soured by the question; how did we both fall so hard for the little one?

00

"Please! Just a few more days, Gyani! She has to be here!" the young brunette sobbed against her older sister as the Troupe was packing their things – even her husband was packing! He was solemn and often wiped at the tears on his face but he had given up hope on their daughter, "Nazeera, help me!"

"Nothing either of you say will change my mind! We have lingered too long already and you are not the only one who has lost their baby in this cursed city…no doubt that slaver has shipped her away already – she was very pretty and would have made much money." The leader of the group turned and began packing his things, sick of the begging and tears, he could not bear to listen to it anymore – the baby was gone as far as he was concerned. "We leave in the afternoon, be ready…or I will drag you through the gates myself." Azurelle choked on more of her tears and sobs, it wasn't fair! She had been holding her little girl when thugs snatched her from her arms! Her older sister hugged her closer and mumbled soothing things into her hair just as upset that they were leaving without the baby.

They both exited the inn, Nazeera warning Azurelle's husband to go back and snivel by himself in a corner if he would not disobey Gyani. "We will search all night if we must…come on!"

0

"I can go for you!"

"You just do not want to change her again! I can get my own inks thank you! Feed her as well!" Malik left Altaïr staring up at him helplessly as a baby screamed from the pillows. Malik grinned to himself as he landed on the dust ground of the alley behind his bureau, Altaïr hated looking after the bureau on his excursions into the middle district's market and that suited the Dai just fine. He loved the man like a brother but he loved causing him little bits of anguish when he could. Making his way easily into the bustling street, the Assassin scanned the area as he walked, a few guards patrolled the area but didn't give him even a fleeting glance and a thug watched him curiously but was frightened off by Malik's hard glare – he did not fancy his chances against the supposed cripple.

"Hello, again!" a young boy grinned goofily at Malik as he approached the stand the boy was tending, "I'm in charge today! Well, until my older brother comes anyway! Is it quills, books or ink? Maybe I can con you into – uh…sorry, tempt you into purcha-as-as…buying something else!"

Malik smiled at the boy and was tempted to ruffle the curly black hair, "just ink today, Habib. Two bottles of black should be fine…no, three actually." He amended thinking of the bottle the baby had broken that forced his visit here. "How is your mother?"

Habib shrugged and set about mixing the ink into the right density, "still fat…or pregnant…possibly both." The Dai chuckled at the description, this child never failed to say the wrong things, "this will be done in no time, I'm only one bottle down – I just had an angel purchase some ink and a brush…why she writes with a brush is a mystery but she was so pretty!"

"an angel?" the boy nodded and went on to describe the woman who had just been at his stall, Malik listened, his curiosity piqued and he couldn't help but feel disappointed to miss have missed such a woman. He gave the boy the money for his inks and slipped them into the pocket of his black robe, "give my regards to your family, no doubt I will see you soon." The boy waved rapidly and then hid behind the stall at the approach of his older brother who was yelling at him for serving people in such a stupid manner. It made him think of the times he had yelled at Kadar or Altaïr for similar things when they were all much younger.

Malik passed an alley not five minutes from the bureau, the area was quieter down here and he didn't have to be so alert. "leave me alone, you creepy little man!" hearing the scornful yell from a woman in the alley he'd just passed, the Assassin spun on his heel and went to investigate. Dark eyes widened – was that Habib's angel? The long haired woman was pinned against the stone wall, a pickpocket Malik knew well – because he'd handed the man his ass on several occasions – was trying to subdue her and grope her through the yellow dress she wore, "piss off, you really smell quite bad!" the thug backhanded her and then he yelped in pain as she punched him in the face and pushed him into the opposite wall. Her chocolate brown eyes glinted with victory as the man cradled his nose in evident pain, brushing the loose curls from her hair she thought of something wicked to say and instead gasped as a knife was drawn.

Malik pulled his hood up and reached under his black robe to grab one of the hidden throwing knives he kept on him out of habit and threw it with great precision so it barely grazed the man's cheek, "I am tired of you disturbing people." He said once he had the other's attention.

"then stop interfering, cripple!" the man rushed at Malik and made a clumsy swipe with his knife, the Assassin batted the blade away and gave the thug a right hook, watching his head collide with the wall and fall to the ground unconscious. He really should kill the man but his attempts on Malik were always amusing. Stepping over the body Malik glanced at the woman to make sure she was unharmed – surprised but she was not hurt. He bent down and picked up the brush she had dropped, the ink bottle was smashed and spread across the dirt like spilt blood, he held it out to her.

Nazeera stared at him suspiciously but reached out to his hand, instead of taking the brush she took his hand and turned it palm up, "you're bleeding." Malik tried to pull away but her other hand joined the first and she gave him a glare, "don't be such a man! Let me see." It was a small cut, it was barely really bleeding at all and she seemed glad of the fact. "Thank you."

"You were doing well on your own." Malik's hand twitched as it warmed at her touch, she grinned at his compliment and reached up to push his white hood back down, he grin brightened at his flinch as he thumb brushed over his cheek at the action.

"True, I am amazing after all…not so good with knives though." Leaning up and putting a hand on each of his shoulders she kissed his cheek, "thank you, really, you saved my life!" Malik looked down at her with a confused expression; her hands were still on his shoulders, his left tingling under her fingers to the point where he had to look at the offending hand. Nazeera looked too and slowly removed her hand, "I'm sorry…did I hurt you?"

Malik shook his head, she was touching it – fully aware it was missing and not seeming to care at all, even when she looked at it he could not see any pity. "No, it is old…you should leave before that moron wakes up." He stepped back from her and with drew one of his ink pots, "here, it is a spare." She smiled at him and pecked his cheek again before running away quickly – standing on the unconscious man as she went. It was then the Dai noticed the black writing on the wall:

Missing

Grey eyed baby, brunette hair and freckles.

Very pretty - pudgy

Answers to the name 'Rani'

Send word to the Gyani Troupe

REWARD

Swearing loudly Malik ran after her but she was already gone. This must have been how Altaïr felt when he'd let the mother escape his grasp. Foolish. But at the same time he couldn't help the grin split his features – an angel had kissed him…twice!

00

Zipora was all over Malik once he had returned, he smelled more like home than ever now and she wanted to be close to that. Malik held her close and then he said as clearly as he could, "Rani." Her eyes flicked up and she smiled at him.

"Rani?" she looked at Altaïr with the same reaction, "so that is her name. How did you discover this?"

"I ran into someone looking for her, she was writing on the walls in an attempt to find this little one…I realised this after she had vanished."

Altaïr groaned, this baby was never going to be returned at this rate! "So even though you found time to be kissed – twice – you lost her!" Malik blushed slightly, his eyes wide as saucers, "you have lip marks on your face. What did she look like? We can have her marked as someone to search for."

Malik grinned stupidly at the Assassin, "She is possibly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"…well maybe she will have a reward for you when you return Zipora."

"Rani."

000

Next chapter is the last chapter!