Notes- I didn't know Malik's brother's name so while searching on google, some people caled him Kadar so I pinched the name for use. Thx to those adding it to their alerts/favourites lists!!
"Don't tell me I'm making the dough..." Leah asked as Malik threw a small cloth bag at her tied with some string.
"And don't tell me you don't know how." Altair said removing his hood for the first time he caught Leag ogling madly at him. "What?" he shot at her, and she shook her head muttering "Nothing." As he turned around she saw a scar evident on the nape of his neck, it stretched from the center of it and seemed to carry on down into his robe.
{Right...I can do this, I made dumplings in school but back then I had utensils – screw utensils, I had running water back home! And clean clothes.} Leah thought sadly as she looked at the bag of flour and thought {self raising or plain? The many questions of life...}
"Do you need help?" Malik asked suddenly approaching Leah still sat on the rock.
"Um, you want me to make dough but I don't get from what. I mean I've got nothing to make it in." She said indicating to the wasteland they camped in.
"On a mat of course I'll get you one." He offered surprising Leah with his kindness.
"Thanks." {A mat?! How the hell do I make dough on a mat?! Water'll just leak through-provided we even have water.}
"Here don't use too much of the water and Altair won't kill you, it is his anyway." He gave a small smile and handed over the waterskin and a mat that was coated in a glossy covering, presumably to stop leakage.
---
"What are you doing?! That's my waterskin you gave her-I need the water Malik." Altair asked irritable after pulling Malik away from the girl.
"Of course and you're meant to look after her, so she might as well use your water." Malik said simply pulling his arm back from him.
"That's just ridiculous, she'll just waste it. A day without water won't kill her!"
"I seem to remember you being a pain in the backside when you went without water; don't forget she may be some pampered daughter of a rich lord. Possibly used to comfort and whatever else those people have."
"You think a pampered lady of a lord knows how to make dough? Make stitching and weaving more like." He grabbed Malik to around the rock they were behind and pointed to Leah, "Look at her- she's got that dough near enough done and ready to be eaten! No girl from a rich family knows how to do that."
"At least she got dough made, now be a grateful assassin and I'll get the fire started." Malik patted Altair on the head, earning a swipe at his head which he gleefully skipped out of range much to Altair's frustration.
(You can be such a demon sometimes Malik, not that you can top the stupidity of the girl.) he thought walking back to their designated camping area.
-----
"So just stab it on the end of a stick and hold it over the fire?" Leah said tentatively prodding the dough on the end of her stick before launching it over the fire.
"Yes, and if Malik doesn't get back soon I'm going to eat his share." Altair said looking around in the pitch darkness.
"He's been gone for ages looking for his brother."
"Don't I know it, left me here with an idiot to look after."
"I'm no idiot; you're the idiot walking round in a big robe thinking you're great."
"Funny you should say that with...whatever you're wearing. Indecent foreign clothes..." he muttered good naturedly gesturing to her clothes.
"It's called t-shirt and jeans, and their decent alright at least I wear underwear."
"Underwear? Undergarments you mean?" Altair corrected her; he couldn't help a small smile growing as this odd girl spoke nonsense quite literally to him. It was like Malik at the age of 8, great times...
"Whatever you call 'em, feel free." She concluded, "What do I do with the dough? It's going all brown."
"Peel the first layer that's cooked off and then cook again." He instructed her, doing the same with his.
"Altair!" Malik called out surprising the pair as he appeared from the gloom silently, "Put your blade away – look what I found!" Altair slid his hidden blade back into its sheath curious as it what Malik had dragged back.
"Greetings brother." Another man said appearing from behind Malik and bowed to the higher ranking assassin who returned it.
"Kadar, it's good to see you in one piece although I was hoping Malik had caught a hare of some sorts. Were you far ahead?" Altair questioned lightly, handing Malik his share of the dough.
"Slightly, I ran into a troop of Templars and had to escape into the village where Malik spotted my belongings on the horse." The younger assassin answered, his hood still up as the other two had let theirs down. "But who is this?" he gestured to Leah who'd been busy speculating him.
"Some wench Rafik told me to look after for." Altair then dodged a small piece of dough flung at his head.
"I'm no wench-"
"Will she be sleeping with you?" Kadar interrupted pulling his hood off.
"I'm not sleeping with him." Leah stated stubbornly and Kadar raised an eyebrow amused.
"You couldn't get me to sleep with her even if Al Mualim set the order to." Altair declared with a deathly look at Kadar for even suggesting it.
"Same here you know." Leah added.
"Then where will she sleep Altair o great caring head assassin." Malik asked finishing his dough.
"Why would I know? With the horses." Altair suggested looking at the horses grazing.
"You'd let a woman sleep with the horses...It seems a bit-why not just give her a blanket? It seems a lot more polite than resting with the animals. " Kadar asked cutting off his intentional opinion. Altair was silent as he tried to think of a comeback,
"It's been a tiring day and I'd rather have a good rest, Malik share your horse with Leah tomorrow. My one had its burden today."
"I have Kadar on mine, he had to leave his horse." Malik pointed out and Altair sighed knowing he'd have to put up with her crack comments on horseback for a fair few hours.
"Fine, Leah come over I'll toss out a rug or something."
"Such a kind and considerate man Altair, Al Mualim taught you well – here have a rug!" Malik commented intentionally to their retreating backs. Altair stopped abruptly,
"Fine, Leah have a BLANKET- my blanket in fact because I'm such a GOOD person caring for you!" he called back sarcasm high in the air.
"You'll go to heaven Altair!" Malik replied cheerfully.
---
"You know you can have the blanket I'll be alright with something else." Leah offered seeing Altair's face snarled in annoyance as he pulled out a matted cloth folded tightly.
"No, take the blanket - wouldn't want Al Mualim knowing I was neglecting you." He spat out pushing it to her before regaining his usual detached tone, "Besides you don't look like your clothes will keep you warm- I'll just steal little Malik's blanket." He said as she opened her mouth to reply. Leah had lay on the floor, using some sort of pad as a pillow Altair had given her, she could hear things chirping in the cool night and the men breathing from a distance away it'd been quite a while since they had settled down for the night.
"Your still awake?" Altair asked quietly, rolling over to her after she had adjusted the blanket carefully. He'd been laying on his side his back facing her not too far off from where she slept.
"So are you." She replied and gave a small stretch,
"Obviously. Tell me how you knew we were going to steal the Piece of Eden from Jerusalem?"
"Well, I saw it happen." She answered wearily, this whole "Tell me what you know" was getting rather old.
"Not possible, it hasn't happened." He corrected her.
"Well I was there when it happened and that Katar bloke gets snuffed out."
"First of all his name is Kadar, and snuffed out? What is that – some sort of blowing light out action?" Leah gave a small nod and Altair seemed to understand, "But how, I personally don't mind if Kadar dies first of all of course – sure Malik will cry, but he'll live-"
"With one arm."
"Hey Altair, we're trying to sleep and talk of amputating arms doesn't count for good dreams." Malik growled out throwing a pebble at Altair lazily.
"Good point, and I don't plan to die anytime soon girl." Kadar chipped in lowly.
"Um...good night then!" Leah said hurriedly and rolled over facing away from Altair who had shrugged at the two other assassin's complaints.
-------
Leah woke up all stiff and sore from the sun baked, hard ground, the heat had risen but the air still held a cool chill. With a slight groan she rose and found herself alone, the camp was empty save for the two horses resting.
"Girl, over here!" Kadar flagged her over after appearing from behind the side of the mountain not long after she awoke.
"What you doing round there?" She asked groggily, looking round.
"Brushing up, I'll saddle a horse first it's a direct route to Jerusalem so you can ride with me to the city first since Altair will be a while preening himself." Malik said gesturing to where Altair fixed his robe carefully, turning the belt into the dead centre of it.
"You mean yourself Malik, I'll get to Jerusalem before you and your dead weight brother can." Altair retorted and pushed past him rudely.
"He's a little bit touchy in the mornings let him have a while to wake up." Kadar advised before Leah followed the surly assassin. They had rode consistently after they left camp speaking very little due to Altair's murderous responses to anything and they had soon reached Jerusalem. They had snuck into the city by acting as scholars carting around hay (Leah underneath it all), who were in the city to trade. This story had been chosen as Leah refused to scale the wall with them, and so trading hay was the choice much to Altair's annoyance.
