"It gives me real concern to observe... that you should think it Necessary to distinguish between my Personal and Public Character and confine your Esteem to the former." -Letter to Jonathan Trumbull, September 21, 1775


Indeed, this girl had yet again disturbed an errand he had to run, but none as essential as eliminating Templars. In fact, he had gone through town to seek out Surry, Samuel Adams' 'associate' or so he says. He wanted to see if there had been some runaway slaves roaming aimlessly in the alleyways since there have been recent reports, but then this happens—a strange girl runs into his arms. It was not just any girl at all either. No, it was none other than his observer or as his mentor had out it, "The Eyes of the First Civilization". Well, this was a strange coincidence.

He had wondered when she was going to return if the spirit had brought her to him once, but here she was. Tsipporah attempted to suck in some air to sustain her, as if she's recently seen a ghost. All the worry seem to have vanished from her face upon recognizing the clothing as well as the white hood that obscured the young man's face. She breathed his name hastily with a weak smile to follow and collapsed into him once more, whispering a suggestion to leave. Did he really have a choice at this point? His mentor ordered his instantaneous return should he run into his observer stray on the streets. Connor didn't like this one bit, even as the novice gave a winning smile in her exhaustion, but weaved through the crowds of Boston to his horses and carriage.

The hooded man carefully laid her in the seat inside and nodded to his recruit who stood aside the horses to prepare to ride off. Once the door closed and they were traveling out of Boston, the novice quickly sat up in relief and placed her basket next to her. Connor sat across from her, watching how her figure rose up and began to twist around in comfort. "Oh my God, I'm gonna kill Angie for making me go alone! Son of a bitch…" she started to curse at someone he had yet to know, but the rest was inaudible. Tsipporah cut her ranting short to acknowledge that she finally reunited with… someone she wasn't ready to reunite with, but took the time to admire how his bodice finally fitted the colonial assassin's attire. It was like most hooded outfits she had seen before in research, but with a mash-up of the colonial militia uniform underneath along with some Native American beading patterns on either arm with animal-skin boots as well. The observer leaned over to see his face, but unfortunately the hood was doing one hell of a job obscuring it.

"It is you, isn't it, Connor?" she cocked her head forward for his attention.

"You are The Eyes, Tsipporah, so there really is no need for secrecy."

"Well, damn. You make it sound like I'm an object…" she pouted.

"Not an object, but it is the role you have been chosen to fulfill as I do in the Brotherhood. We are all still human in the end. One can never be stripped of their humanity to be called a mere 'object'."

"Heh. Alright, oh wise one. I see you still have a hard time with sarcasm, but it is nice to see you and everyone again. Kateri is looking as charming as ever, Achilles is still a dick—Oh! Don't tell him I said that…" she crossed her ankles as the hooded man continued to face her general direction. It seemed that he wasn't interested in answering her, but studying her features and how they've changed. Certainly, her hair has grown fuller and was more abundant with loose curls put back. She appeared more toned in than she was before (despite her working clothes making it a bit hard to tell) and her neck was shapely and slender as a swan's. Connor leaned back in his seat to study her eyes, which still had some doubt left, but little to be found.

"…Are you checking me out, Connor?" the young woman raised a brow in suspicion. He didn't respond as much as a word, but turned his attention to the carriage window. The girl stifled a giggle, sensing that he most likely was and said nothing back. After a while, she watched out the window as homestead come into view, but couldn't contain the temptation to pull back the hood from his face. How does his face look now? He instantly grabbed her wrist as she was inches away from the seams and thread, disappointing her immensely.

"Okay! Okay! Don't break my arm! I just wanted to see your face," she whined, wrenching her hand away. Jesus, he's gotten stronger than before. The novice was surprised to see he didn't even leave a mark on her; his hands were bigger than before, too. Their hands were almost the same size, but even that completely changed. Maybe a lacrosse rematch is out of the question…

"You need only to ask. It is rude to assume that you have my permission to do so yourself."

"Alright. I guess Achilles knocked more than just training into you," she kicked the door open as they stopped by the manor, "Now you sound like an old man, too."

"And you still spew out the words of a child. In all your years of training—"

"Shut the fuck up, Connor, "she stomped to the patio, "I am a woman now, so don't go saying that I didn't grow up. My mentor had me kill a few Templars before coming back to you and I have the scars to prove it!" Actually, it was just one Templar who fights like a goddamn army, but no way was she going to correct that last statement.

Angie walked out the front door when she heard the commotion and swung the door back, running up to her friend—only to receive a harsh punch to the rib. "You idiot! I could've been caught by the Templars and you let me go alone!" Angie returned a blow that knocked her companion on her back, putting her foot on her victim's sternum for good measure.

"You can't be an assassin's observer if you can't survive or fight alone. Get over it." She stepped back and turned her attention to Connor, who was watching the scene unfold between the disputing women and stepped forward. "Enough, "he pushed the feisty blonde away, "If you two are disputing about something, it cannot be dealt with like this." Angie only sucked her teeth and Tsipporah got to her feet, dusting herself off. She then realized that their fighting paralleled that of Godfrey and Terry and chucked a laugh at the thought.

"And what is so funny?" Connor demanded.

"Nothing. This is Emily A. Burke, but I just call her 'Angie'," she pointed out, "She's my accomplice and works for the Brotherhood, too." She cupped her hand at the side of her face and leaned to whisper, "Lock your room at night because she will hump anything with a heart-beat... Oh yeah! I want to go say 'hi' to Faulkner, now! I didn't the first time coming because I went to find you, but you're not gonna show me your fa—"

The jubilant native-woman tackled her side, happy to see her friend and her cousin together again. The novice swore that before the day was over, she would have two broken ribs. She scrambled herself out the embrace this time, but Alice was persistent. Connor shook his head at his beloved cousin's expense, drawing back his hood in the mix of the confusion. The blonde was smirking to see such sport, but froze at the man's profile, as did her novice friend.

"Damn!" the two women exclaimed and straightened out.

"Nice to see you back in one piece, Connor," Alice smiled brightly, but the other two girls were petrified. Tsipporah was taken aback on a completely different level seeing how handsome her old traveling comrade has become; all the air gusted out of her chest and mused on how puberty was so kind to him. Of course, Angie winked at her girl-friend and gave a "thumbs-up" as she walked back to the patio, snapping the girl out of her trance and shrugged.

"Are you alright, my friend?" Alice patted her back and she nodded vigorously.

"Yes. Yep. Yeah…" she chucked a wry laugh, "I'm good. Real good…" she looked down, massaging the bridge of her nose as they all went inside, mumbling something about how she was going to have a mini-heart-attack. Unfortunately, Angie caught her words, which can only mean that she would bother her friend about it later. The maid promptly came up to the group, giving them a notice that the old man was taking a nap for the day and Connor looked to ground then to the maid and nodded. He seemed a bit crestfallen as if he heard that the old man had a terminal disease and had gotten worse… or something.

"You seem a bit down, hearing that he's taking a nap."

"Time has taken a little more breath from him each year."

"Pfft. You make it sound so depressing. He's gonna be fine."

"How are you so sure?" Connor wrinkled his face and bore his eyes into those of the observer. She only shrugged and gave a half smile.

"He has you and me, the neighbors, the years—he's fine." She timidly turned to the stairs to climb them, but her shoulder was firmly held back. "Yeah, 'sup sexy?" she already knew who was gripping her shoulder, but apparently he stiffened at her words briefly. His cousin left out the door, holding a tight smile and gritting her teeth. "How long shall your stay be this time?"

"You're concerned about how long I'm staying? Heh… as long as it takes you to wipe out the Templars and their Grand Master I guess. I mean, I wanna make the most of time here and, uh, some of them think I should sit back and collect dust…"

"You've seen them?" he took her by the shoulders and had her face him. The novice brushed his hands off, boasting about how he should never grab a woman like that and she would go to jail if he did it ever again. Connor shook his head and waved his hand indifferently, knowing full well that his traveling companion is of no help when she gets this melodramatic. She only lifted her chin and stomped up the stairs to her room where her blonde associate waited. He wanted to really say how glad he was to see her again, but how would she act; moody and uncaring? He furrowed his brows at the sound of her slamming the door. This girl never changed since the day they met and wasn't too sure if this was a good or bad thing. He gave the stairwell one last look and went to find his cousin.


Tsipporah feared that she would foam at the mouth before her lips formed words looking upon her old friend's matured appearance. He certainly did look like his father, but in a whole unique mix. She leaned against her door inside her room, placing her hand over her chest, mentally taking in his new form. The blonde friend sat on the refurnished canopy bed and sharpened her blades, and checked her rifle in counting shots. Once she confirmed that her things were in order, she turned to the distressed novice, but her coming fiddling was beat.

"Don't you dare say anything." She pointed an accusing finger. Angie raised her hands innocently as if that was not the subject put for debate.

"Whatever do you mean?" she pouted, "I was just going to say how extremely hot your friend became. Do you know what the best part about being you is?"

"Seriously, don't say anything—"

"You get to travel with that a bit longer!" she squealed and flopped on the mattress. Tsipporah's eyes were reduced to slits, knowing what the blonde was going to say next…

"How can you travel with him for so long and not even think about—"

"About what?" she approached menacingly.

"Sleeping with him! Come on, I know you were just thinking about it just now when he took off his hood. Tell me your ovaries didn't combust when he said your name after all this time!"

"Angie! What the fuck… I'm just a little shaken up today, okay. I saw the Templar Grand—"

Angie kept this up by even singing inappropriate songs for good measure: "Shut and sleep with me; come on, why don't you sleep with me? Shut up and—"

"You shut up. I'm trying to tell you what happened and you're suggesting I go all McNasty and McMake-Lovin' to the guy I watch who's supposed to save the colonies? Go fuck yourself because I came back on a serious note and I need to help my friends if need be. Now… you'll listen to my report."

Angie wanted to physically applaud her accomplice right about now. She did not felt the least bit insulted because she, too, can be a bit childish sometimes, but her friend finally pulled a stern card that raised her ear. Of course, she won't take back her suggestions, but listened to the report, anyway. As she suspected, the Templars knew of their comeback. The blonde has been talking about this for several months into training that what would be worse than the Templars breaching the sanctuary and finding the Pieces of Eden combined would be them obtaining the observers—or known as The Eyes of First Civilization. Not much is known about the Eyes, but to the Brotherhood's knowledge they are the "map-quest" to finding the lost Pieces and that they have a strange ability to tear through time; and most observers were females throughout history, descending from Eve of Eden herself.

"So now they have a reason to be scared of the Brotherhood?" the blonde bounced.

"Nope," the other replied, deadpanned, "Haytham didn't piss his pants in my presence, just the opposite. They think I'll side with them."

"A bunch of crumpet-eating douchebags? I don't think so…" she packed her weapons on her sides, lying on her back with her hands behind her head.

"Either way, we just wait for them to take a knife to the throat and we go home. I guess…"

"That's all, Sipsy?" Tsipporah didn't answer. She wished for some batshit-crazy adventure to come into her life ever since she was a child. Well, it came and she can't wait to see what would happen next, but didn't think it would be written with so much blood on the side. It bothered her so, but these dark, historical events were going to happen no matter what she did. The British are pushed back by the Americans, the Crown loses his head over it all, Marie Antoinette gets beheaded—she knew what would happen. She'll have to watch the whole thing unfold before her unlike how they did in documentaries, but she'll be with Connor…

Connor Kenway. She rushed to the window and saw him talking to Alice, or rather Kateri. Whatever they were talking about, it was getting Connor ecstatic. Her wedding plans maybe? She is supposed to be married to that chubby kid soon, but he probably isn't chubby anymore. The novice watched from her window as the assassin moved with a somewhat different swag than he did years ago. He moved with a different sort of confidence, pride, and grace, but held the aura of a predator. It wasn't just the pubescent shape he's grown into. Something of that air drew her to him

"You're thinking of having him fall down your rabbit hole and take you to Wonderland yet, babe?" Angie shut out the girl's thoughts and only answered with pursed lips, and a twitching eye.

"Alright, I'll leave you to your creepin'—"

"Go fuck yourself, Angie." She gave a small smile at the comment since it did look as if she was a creepy stalker. Nope. It was just observing; just doing her job.


"So you did meet with Surry? What did she say about the missing slaves?" Alice pressed.

"They are in a safe haven were the secret tunnels are, but it is not the most suitable for living quarters. She will have them moved away from the colonies by another who is my 'brother' from New Orleans. Surry claims that she knows of another way to keep them safe." His cousin scratched her chin and stared blankly.

"Why not offer for them to live here?"

"Make no mistake, cousin, I offered the open space of homestead, but Surry did not want me to shoulder such a responsibility and would not say why." Alice found this a bit strange. Why wouldn't the escaping slaves be offered to live in this open air; a beautiful, peaceful haven? Everyone and anyone in need were welcome to settle here, but her cousin's face said it all.

"It would difficult because it would be unwise to move so many all at once—"

"And that we have two observers here…" Alice concluded. She was no fool and Connor wouldn't lie, but they already had their hands full taking care of their community and should focus on raising money, and making sure nothing happens to their watchers. It was troublesome, knowing how spirited they are, but they have to keep them around because they had no choice. The native woman, on the other hand, knew her 'brother' too well.

"That girl is still childish," he rolled his eyes at the past events.

"(That girl intrigues you and I know full well that you wanted to embrace her warmly once you saw her 'child bearing hips', her star-written eyes, and her full lips.)" She made a fish face at him and he covered her face with his hand.

"You do not know me as well as you think, Alice. I have always imagined a warm reunion, but not the ones you would picture."After trying to get her face back to no avail, she bit his palm comically and finally released her.

"That's what my love said when we turned thirteen, but then he confessed that once we marry our wedding night is going to be full of—"

"I believe that is something to keep between you and your husband."

"I suppose. Do you plan to ever have woman of your own, cousin?" Alice wondered for a long time if she was going to have nieces and nephews anytime soon as much as she promised Connor that he would. He did say that once the land was free of Templar control, he would find himself one and settle into the quietness as he raised a family. However, for now it seemed that he was more concerned about the village's safety, Achilles' health, and ensuring everyone's freedom. He was more selfless than anyone she's ever known and hoped that love would come to him; to bring him peace in the midst of this chaos because he well deserved it. She considered the strong possibility that he has.

"I think you've already found a woman. Shame you still think her a girl." She raised a sly brow. He thinned his lips at the mention, already knowing who she spoke of and waved his hand, dismissing the subject and walked off to scout the area instead. Alice wouldn't leave him alone of it, though. As he disappeared into the woods, she shouted things like:

"(Perhaps you could make her your woman! You always said you wanted someone different!)" Or "(Tsipporah told me once she achieves her dreams, she would marry, too! Why do you not ask her if you are a candidate?)" And made sure he wouldn't forget, "(She is only one I know to match you in tewaarathon, but I believe she wants to play an even more fun game to play.)" He leapt to the trees, thankful for once that no one in Homestead knew of their native tongue.


Achilles woke up in the evening and was assisted out of his bed by the nurse-maid to the kitchen where dinner was going to be served. Tsipporah helped set the table as she did long ago and Angie help set the food rations on each set of china. The maid nodded in thanks, despite her telling of how she could do such an activity by herself. She brushed her fringes from her face and helped Achilles to his seat. The novice stretched and went to see if Connor was still in the basement, training as always. Now that she thought about it, he spoke not a word since he came back from hunting along the Frontier. Regrettably, she knew why, too. The words were a bit mixed, but could have sworn that Kateri mixed some words like "make her your woman" with her name and something of "fun game to play". She snorted at how Connor must have felt after hearing such things. Perhaps she spent on hell of a time with Angie in just a few short hours.

"Connor? You down here?" her voice echoed and she ventured down the stairs.

"Yes, of course," he replied, sounding out of breath. She figured, so she brought a glass of water down just in case and handed it to him.

"You sound tired as hell, hero. Drink this—"

"I'm fine."

"Drink the water, damn you." He gave her a sour look before taking the drink in and handing the glass back. "Dinner's ready, so come up. Oh, yeah," she stopped in mid-stride on the stairs, "ask Kateri when she plans on making her wedding dress. I want to help."

"I shall inform her, but I am not sure if her mother with permit your aid."

"Her mom's racist, isn't she?" she completely turned, hearing this excuse before.

"She does not welcome outsiders as much as the others have." The novice looked down and thought about his statement.

"She hates you, too, doesn't she?" she felt some strange guilt rising in her for asking, but her comrade did not seem to mind at all. He nodded and passed her up the stairs to the dining room. 'Why do I always end up pushing the wrong buttons of everyone I know? I called Kateri's fiancée 'fat', I called Angie a whore for the fifth time today, and now I've upset Connor, too, I just know it!' she sucked her teeth at how's she's been acting all day and couldn't help it.

At least dinner time was kept nice and quiet save for the workers outside moving about to go back to their cabins. Those noises were greatly missed, but for everyone else it was a daily occurrence and nothing special. Angie kept elbowing her novice party-member, giving a Cheshire-grin every time she looked at her. This started to get on her nerves. "Something you wanna share, Emily Burke?" she never spoke her real name unless she was really pissed and wanted to be left alone, but that was the best part for her.

"Geez, with your crappy attitude, maybe I should introduce you to McNasty and McMake-Lovin'. Maybe then you'll meet Dr. Feelsgood." Her jokes were terrible; even more so at the dinner table. Thank goodness no one else knew of her estranged 'relieving yourself' jokes. They were horrible.

"Not now, Angie," she really wanted to eat peacefully, "I. Want. To. Eat. In. Peace."

"Alright, babe; it just looks like you heard something you really didn't want to hear as all." She's right, but hell would have to freeze over before she admitted that. She would, but not here—not while he's here. And was the food always this heavy to swallow?

"Why don't you tell me how Boston was today?" Achilles asked before eating.

"I met the Templar Grand Master." Connor's fork seemed to skid off the meat and tear it open. "He says he didn't plan on killing me, but I don't think he cares for where my loyalties lie either."

"That sounds like Haytham, indeed. He will do anything for control as is his duty."

"Sounds like a hot date you two had." Angie joked, but Connor thought no humor came of this news. He abruptly stood from his seat, startling the novice.

"Why have you not said anything earlier?" his eyes bore into Tsipporah's angrily.

"Sorry, I figured it wasn't too important. I mean, because I'm the Eyes, I guess he wasn't planning to hurt me—"

"You 'guessed' that he would bring you no harm? And what if decided that he should? This man is a cold-blooded murderer and will stop at nothing until all who are in his way are destroyed. How could you be so naïve? You should know better than to just allow him to approach you so casually." On second thought, she wanted to spit the meat piece at his face out of spite. He made it sound like she let herself be taken in by Templars. She had an idea of how serious he was since he was standing and directing his anger towards her. Standing in such a way, as she was told, was how some natives let others know that they were standing their ground in an argument or wanted to fight. The novice shoved her chair back and stood, too.

"Do not take your quarrels to the dinner table, you fools," the old man was peeved, but the two still stood aggressively.

"'Allowed him'? Excuse me? Last I checked, I think I 'allowed' myself to end up in the 18th century, 'allow' myself to help you out as Clan Mother wanted, and 'allow' myself sacrifice the meat on my bones so you'd still have your intestines under your skin where it belongs. If you think putting myself in danger for your sake is 'naïve', then I should wear as a badge of honor because I am well needed by the First Civilization and all I have to do is write out to Juno whether you saved the world or doomed us all. Course, I'm not sure how Haytham is a cold-blooded killer when, in fact, that's your job, too. So… fuck you." The novice took her plate off the table, turning her heel to eat outside. The old man acted indifferently and continued eating while Angie gave a dramatic applause to the performance.

Connor wasn't going to let the argument stop there. No. He wanted to get his point across, too. He had always respected the women of his village and those of colonies no matter who they were, but this one was the most difficult by far. She would always point fingers, try to match or even overpower somehow, and always initiate a heated debate. He didn't understand her at all and could never figure out why everyone else can. After getting past the patio, he used his tracking skills to find the girl. There were crumbs of food left alongside the road and eventually lead to the edge of the riverbank.

"So you were planning on following me?" a dark figure sat in the trees above him, swinging her feet. He gave a dry sigh before climbing to her and perching himself on the same branch.

"You are as troublesome as you were before. How is it that you complicate yourself when you are with me and no one else?" he pressed for answers, sensing that she wasn't even moody at all, but playing games with him. The watcher knew he was no simpleton and was way past the whole act, but also knew it wasn't very rewarding to toy with him. That was the issue however; toying with him kept him safe from her.

"I'm supposed to just do my job—just watch you and that's all. I'd like to be friends, too, but the Eyes of the First Civilization are… 'only going to doom the one whom they watch, accelerating negative outcomes', so there you have it. I can only be here, but develop no close relationship." She waited for a lecture or an 'I don't believe that shit' speech and kept her gaze to the riverbank below her. After what seemed like forever, she felt a large hand grip hers and she turned to Connor with the look of child who just caught stealing from the cookie jar. For someone who's taken many lives, his hands were smooth and soft.

"Nope. Nope. Nope. This is exactly what Juno warned me about," she fidgeted, "I should've just kept my mouth shut." She really wanted to kick herself for picking a place to hide like a tree under the open, starry sky: the most ideal, romantic place to be.

"So it was not the old man but the spirits who convinced you to keep to yourself. Was this also your own personal intention?"

"Well… no." it was way too late to repress her emotions now, "Actually, I've never had any friends that were Native American—not that I know of, but that's not the point… making friends during wartime seemed too depressing. I mean, a lot of young people died in the American Revolution and I don't want… well…" She's read on these people ever since she was a child, so she knew what was to come for them. She knew the village was not safe during these times and will never be. The world's most brutal genocides she's ever read of—The Hebrew children of Moses' time, The Indians, The Holocaust, lynching of African slaves… the list goes on. The British took bits and pieces of their home, colonists wanted liberty and freedom from them—they practically started a war in someone else's house! And all the while, the Templars are moving pieces as the Brotherhood are. Worst part is that she has to watch all of it unfold. She knew deep down that all of this would be bought or stolen by redcoats and her friends would burn to ashes. She brought her knees up and bowed her head, feeling hot tears in her eyes at the horrid thought, but Connor would not leave.

"(Go away. I want to be alone.)" Her Mohawk speak slipped out and Connor wasn't surprised, but felt a little proud that she somehow learned to speak it; and so clean, too.

"(You are tasked to watch me and so you shall, but I will be one protecting you.)"

"(You are a fool.)" She scoffed, trying to shake his hand off hers to no avail, "(You're still stubborn as you were before and you say that I am the childish one, you—)"

"(You are the childish one, Tsipporah, to think that you can achieve anything by yourself.)" He then pulled her in and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, but she resisted and was eventually given into his half-embrace. Her head was under his chin and she wasn't too sure if she should push him away or wrap or wrap her arms around him. Her eye twitched thinking about the latter, but mechanically did it anyway.

"Just know that you start dying on me, I'll kill you." She said sarcastically. She wasn't one to get sentimental around her guy friends and Connor chuckled. "I would like to see you try," he responded in a low voice and his companion yawned, relaxing her head against his chest…


When the morning rays shined down through the bedroom windows, a girl of blonde hair poked at her friend's cheek, preparing her for an episode of hell on earth as did the native woman beside her. They waited and watched as the novice wrinkled her nose to the kiss of sunlight, blinking her eyes and letting her vision become clear. Tsipporah stretched and curled, turning to her sides, now that she was fully awake. Once her head faced her right, she shrieked and rolled off the mattress. The two girls bawled with laughter.

"Agh! I fell off the bed because of you! I hope you're happy, Angie. I should mutilate you!" she spat her words through her unruly hair hanging in her face, looking like the Grudge. Alice sat up in front of her with a smile that could threaten to break her face.

"I saw you being carried into the house by Connor. Angie told me everything."

"What the fuck is 'everything'?" she pointed her whole crestfallen expression to her blonde companion.

"I saw that hug he gave you and you sleeping against his pectorals." That last word sounded like a song and as usual, the novice wasn't too happy about it. She had told him everything that Juno told her not to do she fell into his arms like a lovesick schoolgirl; how embarrassing. Shame she couldn't turn back time because she feared for the worse to come out of this course of action.

"Man, you look down, babe." Angie poked her nose in, "Maybe you should cuddle with your man again." Tsipporah brushed off the subject and Alice scrambled to the window like dog seeing the mailman. She started to squeal with joy, but then it died down.

"Hey, Alice? What's up?" Angie asked, but Alice only pointed as her husband-to-be came down the dirt road as if he was chased by something. Tsipporah peeked from a pane and instantly recognized who it was despite him appearing different otherwise. His hair was longer and his face was written with age, but the weight was lost and he was a more decorated man with eagle feathers in his hair, detailed bead-work, and patterned animal skins for apparel.

"Kanen'tó:kon!" the novice jumped and scurried out the door and down the stairs. She almost tripped a few steps down, but came to the door in time for it to knock and the other girls followed. Alice should have been happy, overjoyed even to see him again so soon, but something felt out of sorts. The knocking on the door became more urgent and the bride-to-be opened up to see her loved one riddled with panic.

"Kanen'tó:kon, my love? What is the matter?" she reached out to hold his face.

"Please, Kateri, I must speak to Ratonhnhaké:ton at once. Something has happened—"and just on cue, Connor and his mentor emerged from the basement and came to the door. Connor greeted his childhood friend warmly, but then stopped to find his face filled with worry.

"What brings you here? Is the village alright?"

"The village is safe… for now." Alice thinned her lips as if the world was going to end. The observers looked at each other, as if they saw this coming at some point. Connor furrowed his brows at the statement. "What do you mean? What has happened?"

"Men came, claiming we had to leave. They said that the land was being sold and that the Confederacy had consented. We sent an envoy, but they would not listen…" as Kanen'tó:kon explained the situation Connor grew restless, and Kateri, too, was shaking in anxiety. Their home was being sold? After all these years of protecting the land from invaders, the Iroquois would just give it all up?

"You must refuse!" Connor was furious and Kanen'tó:kon agreed, but reminded him of how they cannot oppose the sachem, which is true. Kateri swore to herself in her native tongue, and Angie told her friend that she'll be upstairs. However, Tsipporah stayed to watch the scene unfold.

"Do you have a name?" Connor pressed, "Do you know who is responsible?"

"He is called William Johnson." 'Bingo', the novice thought, 'met that son of a bitch.'

"Where is Johnson now?"

"In Boston, making preparations for the sale."

"Sale? This is theft!"Achilles stepped in before his student got in over his head to kill, but what was he to do? He made a promise to his people to ensure that nothing would happen to them. Kateri was no different as was her husband-to-be. They grew up together on the patch of land and woodlands—the whole Frontier. The old man lowered his head and made up his mind, allowing Connor to seek out assistance. He directed him to find Sam Adams in Boston as he may help him seek out his target. The observer, of course, didn't want her role go to waste and collect dust.

"I'm going with you, Connor." Well, ride or die. He said nothing, but nodded his head to her and did something that was utterly out of the blue. Kanen'tó:kon let him take his hatchet and he chopped it into the manor's front post. The novice went agape. What did he just do? Even Achilles wondered what the hell he just did and he explained that this was their imprint for starting war—to have a hatchet placed on their post and when the task of war was finished, it would be removed. There wasn't any time to change into her assassin attire, but she bolted with her carry-on basket that contained her clothes. The old man grumbled at how Connor could have used a tree and not pin his 'war' on his manor.

"So find Samuel Adams and stop William Johnson from buying your land. Is that all, boss? Oh yeah, good to see you again, Kanen'tó:kon, even if this reunion is not under better circumstances." She really did wish that they met again being chased by a bear or something. "Likewise. It is good to see you again, but you must hurry; there is no time for leisure." Tsipporah went down the lane to the carriage, but Connor beckoned her to dress for the occasion.

"I'll dress in the carriage! It'll only take a minute. I'll open the door when I'm done." She scrambled into the carriage and recruit was on standby, awaiting Connor's orders. Alice and Angie promised that they would prepare at once and be ready whenever he needed them. Kanen'tó:kon patted his back, mentioning that he, too, will be on standby if Connor needed to know how to get to Johnson. He acknowledged the help and walked off to the carriage, where the watcher promptly opened the door, "Hop in, Connor!" she swung the door with her bare feet. "C'mon, I can't let my friends lose their home." Still childish it seems, but more urgent. The assassin wished his friend luck before getting in, signaling for his recruit to lead them to Boston.

"So the war's started." She mumbled.

"You are not thinking of running are you?"

"I was thinking about running from the beginning, until I took a sword to the calf muscle."

"That was my fault, I—"

"Oh my God, it's not your fault! It was my decision to take a bullet for you and I don't regret it because you grew into an amazing, dependable person, so… stop acting like every bad thing that happens is because of you." Her words proved true, but for how long? The novice knew that deep down that her friends are going to be outnumbered one day, but Connor seemed to be of a different case. Nothing was enough with him and he would go head-first into a fight with ever looking back, as Alice described it. Looking at him now, he gazed out the window with a fire in his eyes. He's changed from the early days when they were young, but has known this all along: a war was coming and all of them were to fight to the death.


The war is here, which means there's going to be more "ride or die" leading to "let's have friendship-turned into romance as the war escalates".

So I have to say that I'm so grateful for the views and the followers. I know the holidays are coming up, so once I get to a winter scenario, I'll bring up a holiday treat. I mean, the soldiers fought even through Christmas and New Year's, so there has to be some form of holiday cheer.

Thanks for the reviews and views, everyone! Special Thanks to new followers! :D