What a nice night… Antoine was still full from the meal Elisa had cooked, and they had sat around talking for hours, simply catching up. Now, though, they had cleaned up their messes, and were now heading upstairs to sleep. It was a large, confusing house, but Elisa loved it and refused to change anything about it. So, while Elisa quickly found her room, Antoine wandered for about 5 minutes, simply looking for his room.

When he finally found it, he noticed immediately that his window was open. He stood still for a moment, then shrugged it off. Quickly crossing the room, he shut the door firmly. It was nothing. Niente.

But it wasn't was it? For there, upon his pillow, was a feather. White. Same as before. Quickly, Antoine turned back to the window and looked out, looking for the white shadow. Nothing, once again. Still, he couldn't ignore this. The assassin had followed him clear out here, way out to his family's villa. He had hoped the trip would discourage him, and maybe the assassin would lose sight of him. He knew who he was now, though. Ezio Auditore. He'd asked his sister of the name, but hadn't gotten a reply. Just silence. He still thought that he knew the name, but for now his curiosity would not be sated.

Now, though, he was leaving. He'd come here simply because he'd thought he'd get away from the assassin… now it seemed like he had led him to the ones he held dear. It was a foolish mistake, and one he would not repeat again.

Quickly, Antoine gathered his things, which thankfully hadn't spread far. He grabbed a sheet of paper, and scrawled a note. He pulled on darker clothes, to help him blend into the night, for he would be fleeing an assassin, someone who had tamed night itself. This would be tricky, but he would try his hardest.

Last of all, he tied his lengthy black hair back with a small, thick twine, necessary to keep it out of his eyes. His hair was only shoulder length, but it was cumbersome and thick enough that he deemed this a time it needed to be held back. He would need to see.

He checked the mirror, using soot to dust anything that appear too white, not sparing even the silver on his boots. He even covered his face, grimacing when he realized how strange he would look when he arrived at his country house. When he was finished, the only white on him was the whites of his eyes, and even them he was able to hide by pulling the hood on his cloak up.

Stepping back, he appraised himself. He felt a chill go up his spine, realizing how… assassin he looked. Quickly he made the sign of the cross, then grabbed his things. It was time to leave. Elisa was in danger every moment he remained.

On his way out the door, he pinned up the note. Then he gathered up Tuono, and headed off quietly. No doubt the assassin had marked his movements, but he was a man as well, and no horse could outrace Tuono. Now what mattered was stealth, and trickery. Lies. It would become his life.

For two weeks, he lived in peace. He had fooled the shadow. The note he had left had been lies, of course. It had been addressed to his sister.

Elisa;

Dearest sorella, your sadness has weighed upon my mind, and I have decided that to appease you, I will search out Cristiano. I will ask and make sure that he is certain in his life. I will head back to Venice for now. A hurry you might say, but it is a long trip, and you know that I have no patience. If the boy is unhappy with his chosen life, I'll send him back to you, along with a sore behind. If he is happy, I will continue on with my journeys. I have business in Roma that I must attend to. I do not know when I will be back, so do not wait up for me. I will send a letter before the year's end.

With love,

Antoine

Roma. Laughable. What business would he have there? And yet, it seemed to have worked. Ezio Auditore must have thought Antoine silly, to actually follow the directions on the note. It was obviously a ploy, yet it seemed to have worked. Still, it could've just been that Tuono had lost the white shadow, and Ezio had been forced to check all leads, laughable or not.

"You're making excuses again," he said roughly to himself, shoving himself to his feet. He spoke to an empty, lonely house. This was Antoine's country house, devoid of all life except for Tuono, a groom for Tuono, and a cat named Ombra, Shadow.

Even as he spoke, that Shadow cat of his glided into the room, head haughtily in the air. It was a reminder, and Antoine sighed. Right. Life. It was time to forget the fantasies, and move on with life. In a few months he would be able to return home, Ezio Auditore forgotten. Surely the shadow wouldn't follow him forever… he wasn't important enough. He might've been interesting, but he wasn't interesting enough to warrant such a thorough search. Even now he suspected Ezio to have given up. Still, better to be safe rather than sorry, and to remain safe. He still didn't know why Ezio had followed him… revenge? Mayhaps.

Suddenly, Antoine was startled from his reverie by a knock on the door, and a muffled voice calling a greeting. Antoine thought of the groom, and cursed. What was the man doing here? He had the entire barn to himself, and it was a very nicely decorated barn, indeed! It was nicer than some parts of the house!

"Hold on a moment," called Antoine, bending down to ruffled Shadow's fur, who graced him with an irritated glare, before making himself presentable. It always helped to look nice for the servants, it made them feel more kind towards their employers. Besides, they were people, too, and Antoine didn't enjoy looked mediocre in front of anybody, not even his family or friends.

Finally, Antoine pulled open the door, a greeting frozen in his mouth.

Not the groomsman.

"You've led me on quite the merry chase, Antoine Valcari," commented the White Shadow, grinning playfully, "but I've finally found you."