So! Another chapter done!

-As I guessed before, College has totally hit me these past few weeks. Midterms are coming up, which is weird... but still true.

-I have to work an Easton Corbin concert this Saturday. It's going to be fun! :3

Thanks for the reviews!:
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Chapter 7

Settling the Score

Time returned to its normal pace all too quickly. The next thing I knew, the crowd was screaming and running away, guards filtering into the area. The one guard that I had punched was shouting something at me, his sword drawn. My legs had bolted themselves to the ground, and I simply watched the angry man approach me, lifting his sword into the air. Then Federico's words rang through my head: "Run, Narina! Run fast, and don't look back!" So I did. Twirling away from the man, and ran down the flooded street. I felt like I was being pursued by the mysterious men again, weaving through the shuffling crowd, pushing my way through. My only thought was to get away, to get as far as possible from the terror and pain.

I don't think I had ever ran so hard, so desperately, even when my life had depended on it. Although I was sure none of the guards were chasing me, I continued to flee, dodging through the crowds. I'm not sure how long I was running, but the only reason I slowed to a stop in a narrow alleyway was because my lungs were on fire and my legs gave out under me, and I found myself sitting on the dirty ground. It was then that I realized that I wasn't trying to run from the guards—I was trying to run away from the darkening horizon, from the horror and from the death. I was trying to run from reality.

But reality was faster than I was.

Curling up in the alleyway, staring up at the clear sky, feeling the cold air burn my lungs, I began to cry. Not just little tears; I mean sobbing and gasping, clenched fists and running nose. I didn't understand why it had turned out like it had. I didn't want to be alone. Just when the tears began to slow, it suddenly hit me that Giovanni, Petruccio, and Federico were dead. Dead. I would never see them again; never hear their comforting, familiar voices. And the tears started all over again, making it hard to breathe.

Even when the tears did stop—quite suddenly, as well, like my body had ran out of supply—I simply stayed curled up in my ball, staring up blankly at the wide sky, no thoughts going through my mind; my body was so numb that I could feel nothing.

I was all alone.

When my mind became clear enough to think, I actually considered just sitting there in my misery until I died. It felt like I didn't have a life without the Auditores. But, as I sniffed, rubbing at my eyes, I realized that sitting around wasn't any way to deal with the situation. Dying wouldn't make Federico any happier. Instead, I lifted the pendent from around my neck and stared at the crest, the design catching the sunlight and shining brightly. Thinking that Federico had touched the necklace most of his life, I pressed it to my lips, clamping my eyes shut as I mentally promised him that I would live. I would live as long as I was allowed.

It had to have been noon by the time I pushed myself up off of the ground. My mind was drowned in fog, so I couldn't really tell. I could have tried to go back to the Mancini's, but I had a feeling that they wouldn't accept me back. Though they had been friends with the Auditores, I didn't believe that they would think the Auditores innocent, especially if the city guard declared so otherwise. It was about that time that I really regretted not taking a legitimate tour of Florence with Federico before. I had no idea where I was.

So I wandered, blindly going forward. With every step I took, the more lost I felt. How much longer could I go before I gave up? I suppose I could try to find the answers myself, leave Florence and explore the rest of Italy. But I knew I couldn't do it alone. Especially when there were people out to get me.

I was in one of the main plazas, simply following the flow of the crowd, when suddenly, my arm was seized and I was pulled aside. Thinking it was one of the "people out to get me", I cried out, struggling against the hold.

"Narina, it's okay! It's me!" For a split moment, my hopes were built up when I thought of Federico. But all in the same moment, I realized that it was impossible. I looked up at Ezio, the white hood pulled over his face. "Are you okay?" he asked, pulling me further out of the crowd and into a shadow of a nearby building.

"Yeah," I muttered, but I shook my head. I felt the tears prick in my eyes, and I raised my arm to cover my eyes, biting my lip to stop a sudden sob.

Ezio took a hold of my arm, pulling it down as if to drag me back from my emotions. "We have to go. Annetta found me not too long ago and told me where we need to go."

The tears had disappeared, but the sadness stuck. I bowed my head, shaking it slowly. "No."

Ezio groaned out. "Why must you always argue? I promised Federico that I was going to keep you safe and I'm going to keep that promise. Now come!" He wasn't going to put up with my breakdown, tugging me along even when I tried to pull back. It made me realize that Ezio had suddenly taken all of the responsibility onto his own shoulders—he had to protect his family now, become the beacon of safety for those of us who were simply lost. How he held it all in, I'll never know. But I respected him for it.

He led me across the city, taking extreme caution considering that the guards were looking for him now, even more so than they had been the night before. I wasn't entirely sure where we were heading, but I found myself placing all of my trust in the Auditore that I had never really known—he wasn't so unlike the rest of his family.

"This is it," Ezio announced, stopping us. I looked up at the building, mesmerized by how elegant it looked. "This is Annetta's sister's Bordella."

Ezio stepped forward, towards the door, tugging me behind him. When he knocked on the door, it opened immediately. "Ser Ezio! Signorina Narina! You have both come safely!" Annetta greeted with a relieved smile. "Please, come in."

We followed her into the building, finding ourselves in a brightly lit room, everything in an elegant red, so many decorations lining the walls with golden sewing work. There were people lounged out on the couches, all men. I felt slightly uncomfortable when I realized that it was a brothel, even more so when Ezio's grip on my arm became suddenly tighter as he realized the same thing.

"I think we have the wrong place," Ezio muttered, making me look up at him curiously.

"No," Annetta said reassuringly, giving Ezio a look. "This is the right place."

As if her words were a cue, many courtesans came walking through a door at the back of the room, heading over to the men on the couches and giggling. I was glad that they had avoided us, but another woman approached us. She was different from the other girls, dressed differently, although not necessarily better. The woman must have been in her mid thirties, still young, but considered old for a courtesan. The red of her dress matched that of the décor, making me realize that she must have ran the brothel. Her dark hair was held back by a headdress of some sort, just as beautiful as she was.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Messer Ezio. Annetta has spoken quite highly of you." Her eyes raked up his body. "I can see why."

Come now, really? I caught myself making the same observation, but stopped and rolled my eyes instead. Ezio grinned back at the woman, bowing his head while reaching up and pulling off his hood. "The pleasure is all mine, Madonna...?" He trailed off.

"Ti prego," she insisted with a soft smile, "call me Paola."

"Thank you for allowing my family to stay in your home, Paola," Ezio said while he bowed.

"It is of no problem," she said back, then turned her gaze to me. "You must be Narina."

I was nearly shocked that she knew who I was. "Yes." I bowed. "A pleasure, Paola."

She gestured to the door she had came out of. "You must be tired. You are welcome to..."

"No, grazie," Ezio interrupted, "but I cannot stay."

Paola wasn't surprised by Ezio's statement. "Why? Where are you going?"

Ezio's eyes darkened as he turned from the woman, looking over the room. "To kill Uberto Alberti."

"I understand your desire for vengeance, but the Gonfaloniere is a powerful man." Paola paused, reaching out to touch Ezio's shoulder. "You are not a killer, Ezio," she reminded him softly.

Ezio waved a hand angrily in the air. "Spare me the lecture," he spat.

Paola inclined her head. "But I can teach you to be one."

With a gaze back to her, Ezio seemed skeptical. "And why are you going to teach me how to kill?" It did seem a little absurd, but there was something eerily familiar about Paola. I wondered idly if she, too, had connections with the assassins.

"I'm not," she answered, smiling again. "I'm going to teach you how to survive. Come." She walked by Ezio to the back door, turning to gaze at him. Ezio sighed and took a step after her, obviously deciding he had no other choice. I considered staying in the building, but, judging on the way the courtesans were sitting on the mens' laps, I didn't want to stay any longer than I had to. I quickly followed after Paola and Ezio through a set of doors before we were outside again, under a large patio roof where many courtesans stood in groups and giggled.

"In my profession," Paola explained, "discretion is paramount. We must freely walk the streets; seen, but unseen. You, too, need to learn how to blend in with the city's crowds, to become lost in a sea of faces." Ezio was nodding, understanding what she was trying to explain. Paola nodded to a group of courtesans who them swarmed around Ezio, touching him and giggling under their breaths, making Ezio look like he was the happiest person in the world. I had to roll my eyes again.

"Let's see how well you do," Paola said loudly, to cut through all of the courtesan's giggles and beckoning words. Prying himself through the small crowd around him, Ezio shot me a look, raising his brows. I just shook my head at him, showing him I wasn't entirely impressed with what he had picked up. We followed after Paola, who stood at the back entry way of the patio, the entrance that led back to the streets. "I want you two to go through the crowds and see how well you can hide. Go around the plaza and come back."

I frowned. Even me? Why did I have to get dragged into it all? But as Ezio pulled his hood back on and took a step out into the streets, I realized that I wanted to follow him anyway, instead of stay with a bunch of giggling women.

It was a very intimidating game that we were playing—there were guards everywhere in the plaza. Ezio had to be extremely careful, for his white hood was on the look out. I wasn't entirely sure why I needed to hide, for I was certain my face wasn't known. But if Ezio was going to take me with him, I guessed it was a skill I needed to learn. Once we safely got back to the Bordella, Paola nodded a congratulations to us.

"I will teach you how to steal, now," Paola started, and I frowned in response. I found it a little odd that we were suddenly throwing all of our values out the window, but then again, desperate times call for desperate measures. "Ezio, once you steal, you mustn't linger! Use your new blending techniques to slip away without any suspicion." She waved an arm out to the street. "Now go. Bring me back your purse full of money."

Ezio bounded off, eager to prove himself.

Paola looked over to me, and I glanced back. She looked quite sad all of a sudden. "I am terribly sorry for all the pain that has been caused."

Surprised, I looked away. "Oh. It's...it's not your fault." I reached up and fiddled with the necklace.

"My girls have told me you and the eldest brother spent much time together," Paola mentioned softly. "I know it is hard. I've lost something precious as well."

Suddenly being able to relate to her, I looked up at her as she reached out and took a hold of my shoulder, comfortably squeezing it. "Did you know the Auditores?" I wondered.

"Si. Giovanni was an associate of mine." At first I was shocked to think that Giovanni would go to a brothel, but then I remembered.

"Oh. So, you're an assassin, too."

A dark look overcame her face as she shot a suspicious look at me. Her hand dropped "How do you know of the Creed?"

Creed? That was new. I decided not to ask about it. I told her about how Ezio and Federico had found me a month ago, how I had forgotten everything. I explained to her how I had just randomly known that Giovanni was an assassin, how I must have had contact with the Creed before I lost my memory. By the time I was done telling her,the dark look had been replaced by her soft smile, and she nodding understandingly.

Ezio came back, then, with his big purse swelled with florins, a boyish grin spread on his face.

"Well done, Ezio," Paola praised, pushing aside our conversation. "Girls," she spoke to the courtesans, "you may leave now."

"Aw, do we have to?" One of the whined, and the others all giggled. But they slowly filtered away, waving goodbye to Ezio who smirked broadly back at them.

"Now that you have learned how to approach your enemy openly," Paola mused, bringing Ezio's eyes from the backsides of the leaving courtesans, "we need to find you a weapon."

Ezio lifted a brow. "And what would you have me use?"

I was about to suggest the sword he had the night before, but I realized then, too late, that it was gone. He must have lost it back in the plaza before.

"Ah, but I think you already have the answer," Paola mused, holding up a contraption—the same broken contraption that had come from Giovanni's chest back at the villa.

Ezio, shocked, reached back to touch his empty pouch, then grabbed for the object in Paola's hands. "My father's blade and bracer! How did you get these?"

Paola laughed, clearly amused. "By the same skills I just taught you."

Ezio frowned, looking over the broken vambrace. "It's not exactly in working condition."

"Have you heard of a man name Leonardo Da Vinci?" The name made me softly smile, remembering how excited the painter had been about...well, everything.

"Si," Ezio mused, looking up at Paola. "But where does a painter come into the picture?" Ezio's tone made my smile falter into a frown. He was just so anal about Leonardo being an artist. I supposed that fine things like art ceased to impress Ezio.

"You will find that he does much more than paint," Paola claimed, her smile widening. "Take these pieces to him, and you will see."

Nodding, Ezio put the blade and bracer back into his pouch, turning to look back at me. "You're coming too, right?" I nodded eagerly. I wanted to get out of the patio that smelled overbearingly of perfume, and I wanted to see Leonardo again. "We will be back," Ezio said to Paola, nodding to her.

"Remember: stay hidden," she said to us as we turned to leave out the back of the patio.

We were down the street a little ways, hiding in the crowds, before I glanced up at Ezio. "Do you remember where his shop is? I've completely forgotten."

Ezio looked down at me, my short height giving me a full view of his golden eyes beneath his hood. "I think I can find it. We should be fine."

We wandered around for two hours. For the life of us, we could not remember where the artist's studio was. Finally, after hiding from a patrolling group of guards, Ezio pointed across the street. "There it is!" He breathed in relief, yet I could tell that he was annoyed that we had circled the building at least three times before. After checking to see if we were in the clear, Ezio led me across the street. Ducking into the shadow of the door, he knocked loudly on it and we waited, hoping and praying that Leonardo would be home.

The door swung open. For a drawn out moment, we simply stared back into the surprised eyes of Leonardo, who regarded us quietly. "Oh! Ezio Auditore? What are you doing here? With all that has happened, I didn't expect to..." He trailed off, his mouth twisting shut. "Where are my manners? Please, come in!" He belatedly waved us in.

Inside of the shop was very cluttered, books and unfinished sketches scattered about the table tops. Boxes of paint supplies were shoved in the corners, easels with paint stained on them perched in front of the hearth. In the far back of the room was a large worktable that was covered in piles of documents, scrolls, brushes. Leonardo lived very...comfortably.

"I apologize for the mess," Leonardo muttered, trying to tidy his desk by moving stacks of paper around. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Ezio pulled out the broken bracer. "I was wondering if you could fix this for me?"

Leonardo's face lit up. "Of course! Of course! Please, bring it here!" Ezio stepped forward, holding out the two pieces to the vambrace. Leonardo took them and placed them down on the clear space on the table, looking down at the engraved metal with his eyes dancing. As he studied the contraption, I allowed my gaze to drop around the shop. There was an easel with a beautiful picture upon it. Although it was still a piece in progress, I could see that Leonardo really did have amazing talent.

Leonardo hummed loudly under his breath, making me look back at him. "I don't know, Ezio. Although the mechanism is very old, it is quite complex. The construction is rather advanced." Without the original plans, I'm afraid I cannot fix this. Mi dispiace."

Ezio heaved a sight, reaching out to take the blade. We'd just have to get by without it.

"Wait!" Leonardo suddenly grabbed for the vambrace, yanking it away from Ezio's touch. Upon Leonardo yanking away the engraved metal, it revealed a small scroll that had been tucked away inside. Immediately, Leonardo opened up the scroll and pressed his nose into it.

"What are you doing?" Ezio asked desperately. "What is that?"

"The contents of this page are encrypted!" the artist claimed, his eyes focused on the pictures and words on the scroll. "But, if my theory is correct, and based on these sketches...it may very well be..." He trailed off, reaching across the desk to pull out a book that spilled other books and papers off of the desk, but he didn't seem to notice.

"It may very well be what?" Ezio asked again, his voice rising. "Leonardo!"

"Shh," Leonardo insisted, waving over the desk. "Have a seat, please."

I couldn't help but smile and laugh at Leonardo's determinacy. Once he was set on something, he was going to get it done sooner or later. He was very passionate about his work. Ezio, huffing and not finding Leonardo's insistence as endearing as I had, sat down in the chair that Leonardo had gestured to. I walked and stood next to him, watching as Leonardo began to frantically scribble on a piece of paper, sketching a few things out.

I glanced down at Ezio. "You look tired," I pointed out.

His lips pursed. "I am."

"Did you not get any sleep last night?"

"Not really. I had to be alert just in case we were followed by the guards at any turn."

"Oh." I felt bad. If it hadn't been for me, he could have slept soundly in Cristina's arms, safe and sound.

"Not to mention, sleeping on solid rock isn't exactly comfortable." He closed his eyes, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." I looked back over to Leonardo who was messing with the vambrace with a small tool, prodding at the metal as if to try and pinch something out. Sighing, I walked over to the large shelves and began to scour over the titles, seeing most of them were history books. Some of them were in strange languages, and I wondered idly if Leonardo could speak in different tongues. I had wandered across the workshop to the other shelves when Leonardo spoke.
"I was wondering if..." He stopped, and I looked over to him, ready to answer his question. He was looking at Ezio, whose head was bowed down, hood lowered. Fast asleep. Leonardo chuckled. "Ah. He was tired."

"Yes," I said with a small smile, finding the humor in Ezio falling asleep in a hard chair after just complaining about the night before.

"I suppose he has had a very rough day," Leonardo continued, looking back at the scroll. His gray-blue eyes peered up at me. "You have too, no? Do you wish a place to sleep as well?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine," I insisted, making my way back over to the work table. "I...just...I'm fine."

"Of course." Leonardo turned his full attention back to the vambrace, obviously seeing the discomfort as my thoughts turned to what had happened earlier in the day.

I swallowed. "So, what are you doing, exactly?"

He held up a finger as if to shush me just as he had Ezio before. Realizing that he wasn't going to tell me, I sighed and leaned back against the desk, staring down at the toes of my slippers. Soon after, Leonardo spread out the deciphered scroll and began to really work with the broken blade, taking it apart as he studied the inner workings of the mechanism. I found myself watching him over my shoulder, finding it interesting how Leonardo knew how to fix the blade by just a few pictures and words. It must have only taken him about two and a half hours connecting the blade and vambrace back together with a satisfied smirk on his lips.

"Finished!" He announced, holding it out to show me.

"Impressive," I noted with a small smile. "You should do so much more with this knowledge of yours, Leonardo! Art is nice and everything, but just imagine the things you could come up with!"

The artist rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Thank you, Narina. You are much too kind." He bend over to reach into a drawer at the table, and I nearly choked on my own gasp when he pulled out a huge butcher knife. With the sharp blade in hand, he calmly walked around the table and shook Ezio awake.

"Ezio! It is finished!"

Ezio slowly came to, shaking his head as he blinked through his haze. "What's finished?"

"The blade," Leonardo said, standing straight and holding out the vambrace. "Once I deciphered the plans, they told me exactly what to do." When Ezio went to grab for the blade, Leonardo held it away, holding up the knife. "Now all we have to do is cut off your ring finger."

"What?" Both Ezio and I exclaimed. Ezio had clenched his left hand, his knuckles white.

"The design of the blade requires that the user make a sort of commitment," Leonardo explained calmly, deadly serious. "The blade takes the place of your finger, see?"

Ezio passed me a look, and we spoke to each other through our gaze. We needed the blade, but was dismemberment really necessary? Couldn't we just have the blacksmith forge us a sword? But no, that would be too risky. And take too much time.

Finally, Ezio sighed, his hand unclenching as he singled out his ring finger, the one he was supposed to give to his wife someday. Then he placed it flat on the table surface, turning his face away. "Bene. Take it off."

Leonardo held up the knife, making my stomach twist. "This will only hurt a bit." I suddenly felt the need to jump forward, to save Ezio's beautiful hands. There had to be another way! But before I could lurch forward, Leonardo brought the knife down, a deadly thunk resonating throughout the room. I stood still, breathless and shocked.

Ezio looked up quickly. The blade was notched into the table just next to Ezio's hand.

"I was only having fun, Ezio," Leonardo said with a wide grin. "Although the blade once required a sacrifice, it has been modified." Leonardo put the vambrace into Ezio's hands. "You can keep your finger."

When Leonardo moved away, I reached out to Ezio and gripped onto his shoulder, my heart pounding within me. "Oh my God," I muttered, trying to calm myself. "I thought he was going to actually do it."

After clasping on the vambrace, Ezio looked at his left hand, lifting it in the air to study it. With a flick of his wrist, the blade popped out of place, stabbing up into the air. It would have indeed taken the place of the ring finger had the blade not been moved out further. "A small sacrifice," he whispered, making me feel a wave of sadness at his disregard to what that finger stood for. He looked up. "Thank you, Leonardo. I—."

There were suddenly loud knocks on the door, shouts filtering in through the wood. "By the order of the Florentine guard, open up the door!"

With my heart once again lodged into my throat, I looked up at Ezio who reflected my concerned look in his own.

"Eh, I'll be right there!" Leonardo turned to us, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Stay in here, alright?" He went to answer the door.

"Are you Leonardo Da Vinci?" The guard asked, trying to peer around Leonardo, making Ezio and I step closer to a wall that the man couldn't see us.

"Yes, that is me. What can I do for you?" Leonardo could put on an amazing mask, his happiness etched onto the facade so well.

"I need you to answer a few questions."

"Of course! Here, let us take a step outside." Leonardo disappeared out of the door, closing it softly.

Ezio seized my elbow, dragging me across the workshop. "Venire. We have to get out of here!"

"What about Leonardo?" I argued, glancing up at him. "He could be in danger—the guards probably don't visit him everyday!"

"Shh!" Ezio pulled on his white hood before we quietly inched through the door. The sun was well on its way down, the sky turning darker and darker by the minute. Perhaps we had spent more time in the shop than I had realized. We nearly ran off into the crowds until Ezio stopped me and made my attention divert to the small courtyard next to the shop. There, the guard and Leonardo were talking. The guard mentioned Ezio's name, and when Leonardo played the innocent card, the guard wasn't fooled. Angrily, the guard gripped at Leonardo's shirt and threw the man on the ground, kicking the artist in the side.

My stomach rolled violently, making my breath catch in my chest. I gripped onto Ezio's arm, gazing up at him with tears in my eyes. "Ezio, stop him!"

Ezio didn't need anymore than that. He was free from my hold and in the courtyard, pressing the hidden blade up into the guard's side. The unsuspecting man groaned quietly before slumping back against Ezio, dead.

Dead.

It hit me that Ezio had just killed someone.

And that I was completely okay with it.

Pushing the realization aside, I rushed up next to Leonardo who was sitting up. "Are you alright?" I whispered, worry thickening my voice as I felt another wave of tears. "Those bastards, doing this to you!"

Leonardo let me help him stand, and he waved off my concern. "I am fine. I am use to their abuses. They ask me many questions. I suppose I mingle with the wrong crowd." He smiled as if there was a hidden joke within his words.

"I'm sorry about all of this," Ezio said, throwing the dead man over his shoulder. "What do we do with the body?"

Leonardo dusted himself off. "Just bring it in and put it with the others."

"Others?" Ezio was genuinely confused, as was I.

"The city gives me the bodies so that I can conduct some research on the human body. One more shouldn't be a problem."

We all went back into the shop as Leonardo directed where Ezio should put the body. After it was all taken care of, Leonardo was all smiles again. "There. Like it never happened. As far as I am concerned, not a single guard came by to talk to me." I smiled too. I was beginning to like Leonardo a lot.

"Thank you for everything, friend," Ezio said with true gratitude shining in his golden eyes.

"Anytime, Ezio! And if you find any more encrypted pages like the one that was with the blade, bring them to me. I may be able to decipher them for you."

"Right." Ezio looked over at me. "We need to be back to Paola's now."

"Send her my regards."

We walked back into the brothel, Paola waiting for us just inside the front door. "You've returned," she greeted, pleased to see that we did not perish with the whole city after us. "I trust that Leonardo took care of the blade?"

Ezio held up his left hand, showing Paola how the blade worked.

"Impressive," she claimed, peering at the blade.

It retracted back into place, and Ezio smiled. "I'm quite fond of it myself."

"So you are ready to take your next move, yes?" Ezio nodded eagerly, dropping his hand. "Uberto will be attending an art exhibit this evening at the Santa Croce. Use the skills that I have taught you and you will be able to end his reign of terror." With that, Paola reached out and hugged Ezio, reminding me of how a mother would comfort her son. "My girls will be able to help you into the exhibit," she continued, backing away from Ezio to stare up at him. "Use them to distract the guards. And Narina." She turned to me, surprising me that I was to be a part of all of this. As much as I wanted to kill that fat bastard for what he had done, I knew that I was not skilled enough to kill him. "You will help as well."

"How?" I wondered, my brow furrowing. "I'm not exactly fight-worthy."

She smiled at me, turning and walking to the other side of the room, reaching into a box that was placed in the lower shelf of a table. Opening up the box, she pulled out a round object. She returned back to us, handing me the orb. "You will use this."

I looked it over, confusion washing over me. "What is it, exactly?" I asked, rolling the object in my hands.

Her hand placed on top of it, stopping the rolling. "It's a smoke bomb," she explained. "Throw it down to create a large cloud of smoke so that Ezio may escape with more ease after the assassination."

My lips pursed. "How does it work?"

"You just throw it at the ground. It will erupt in smoke. You will see."

With that, Paola ushered us out the door, telling us that if we waited around, we would miss our opportunity. With Ezio taking a hold of my elbow, we began to weave through the crowds. Ezio knew where the Santa Croce was, for we were there in record time. By the time we stopped in an alleyway, the sky had grown dark. Dark was very good—it would look upon us quite favorably. However, when Ezio pointed across the plaza to a building, and I realized that it was the Santa Croce building. And it was heavily guarded. I felt a pout grace my face. It would seem that Uberto was expecting us to show up.

"There's no way we can get inside," I told Ezio, throwing him a side glance. "We'll be slaughtered before we even reach the entrance."

Ezio didn't answer, simply letting his gaze fall over the crowd. "Then we will use our resources. We'll use Paola's women."

Frowning, I huffed under my breath. "Is that really necessary? I don't see why we need whores to finish this."

Ezio threw me an annoyed look. "They're not being whores right now. They're our ticket inside."

I grew defensive, something strange since I had been so used to Federico always adjusting to my whims. Ezio just brought out a whole new side to me. "There are other of plenty ways that we can distract the guards!"

"This way is safer," he muttered, turning and ending the argument. Gritting my teeth, I followed after him. We approached a group of the courtesans that were gathered in a corner. They looked up at Ezio and immediately approached us to help draw attention away. Ezio whispered his plan to them, gesturing to the guards that were at the entrance of the courtyard where the show was taking place. They nodded and held out their hands expectantly. Ezio gruffly reached into his filled purse and put a few gold coins into the awaiting hands. With their money, the girls all swarmed away and headed straight for the guards.

Watching as the women worked their wiles on the men, beckoning them to go see them, I realized that their methods were actually working. For some odd reason, I thought that the women would fail in their attempt to bring the men out of their duty. So much for depending on people with your life—especially lustful men. With that in thought, I couldn't help but glance over at Ezio, who missed my look and was dragging me towards the entrance.

Once inside, the sense of subtly doubled, and Ezio kept us hidden in the shadows, making our way around the courtyard. There were many easels just like the ones in Leonardo's shop, and perched upon them were beautiful works of art. I wish I could have stayed and enjoyed it more, but I knew that we were here for a much more serious matter.

Ezio stopped us abruptly, hiding us behind a large group of men clad in fancy red and blue robes. "There he is." I looked up to where he was looking. Sure enough, Uberto Alberti stood a mere thirty feet away, his back turned towards us as he talked with another man. A dark side of me reared its ugly head, and I felt the loathing form within me. That man needed to die. He needed to be tortured.

I expected that Ezio felt the same.

Without a word, he stepped forward through the crowds, pushing his way through. I could almost feel the anger emanating off of him, his hatred too much for one mere man to hold. The man that Uberto had been talking to glanced up over Uberto's shoulder, and gasped when his eyes landing on Ezio's approaching form.

"What is it?" Uberto asked, looking back as well. His form went rigid when he saw Ezio. "You...!" he started, but Ezio was quicker. The Auditore ran up to Uberto and grabbed him by the shoulder, flexing his hand so that the hidden blade stuck out. Then he began to stab him. Stab. Stab. Stab. So many times. Blood was everywhere. My hands were shaking. Ezio's rage was fueled into every one of those stabs.

Finally, Ezio let the man drop to his feet, soaking in a pool of blood. Seeing the fat man laying on the ground gave me some small form of comfort. But I knew the battle wasn't over yet. Not for a long time.

Ezio turned in his fury, gazing at all the shocked on lookers. "The Auditores are not dead!" He screamed out, his voice echoing off of the building. "I am still here! Me! Ezio Auditore!"

That was enough. As he was declaring his power, I took a good note on the guards entering the courtyard, streaming in one after the other. I still had the smoke bomb in my hand, and I decided to put it to good use. Heaving my arm up, I threw the orb down with all of my might, clamping a hand over my face so that I would not choke on the fumes. Funny thing, though—it didn't work. I found myself staring down at the orb rolling on the stone.

"This is a fucking joke!" I growled, and by that time the guards were surrounding us, prepared to kill us on the spot. Ezio was quicker. Tucking me under his arm, he somehow managed to maneuver us through the crowds that were fleeing the area, running through the streets. As we ran, I dared a look behind us to see that the guards were close on our heels, weapons drawn and poised to kill.

I turned back to Ezio, the panic sweeping over me. "We're never going to make it."

"Yes, we will!" He argued, glaring down at me.

"They are going to catch us!" I exclaimed, already feeling tired.

"Why do you argue?" Ezio heaved, his brow furrowed. "We don't have time to come up with a plan, so go!" He shoved me away from him, but I still kept up with the pace of our run. I looked up to him for a long moment, up into that hood that seemed to make him a completely different person.

"Where do I go?" I asked him.

"Just run until you're safe!"

I hit me, then, that I would never be safe. "I'm scared!"

"Me too," he admitted, but continued giving me the hard look. Then he turned and bolted down an alleyway, making me cry out in surprise as I slowed. I needed to follow him. I had to.

But no. The bulk of the guards went after him, but much to my dismay, a few came after me. Shrieking, I fled as fast as I could. Since I was so small, I was able to weave through the crowds with ease, buying me some time since I wasn't a great runner. The guards had problems getting through the flow of the crowd, and I was finally able to break their line of sight. I stumbled into a small crevice hidden between a building and small wall that lined the edge of the Arno river. And I sat there, listening to the beat of my heart, quieting my heaving breathes.

As I crouched there, defenseless and on my own, I began to realize just what I was getting myself into. And I knew there was no way out of it now.

Reviews have been slow lately. :C AND IT MAKES ME SAD! :(

So please review? Please? :3

Promise there'll be more EzioxNarina development in the next chapter. But shit is going to be a lot different this time through. Just you wait and see.

Oh, and do please take the time to go read "The View From Up Here" by xXTron'sGirl13Xx. That story is like my cute little niece that I can't help but show off to other people. It's so beautiful! And as I mentioned before, it is the continuation of this story, so things are going to be all meshed together and whatnot!

Thanks for reading! :D