Yay, another chapter! Thanks again for more favs, reviews, and follows! Now, we get to see what happens! It's probably not as good as the last few considering I was writing really tired, and this may be the last chapter i post for a while until I get a majority of my summer work done.

The title of this chapter is based of the song"Eyes on Fire" by Blue Foundation. Listen to it while you read if you want.

Like always, I don't own anything in Assassin's Creed, just my OCs. Please enjoy the story!


February 17th, 1773

A chill echoed throughout my body as my eyes locked with the horrible scene before me. It felt as though someone had punched me five times in the stomach: my lungs forget how to take in air while I stood in the middle of this carnage. Blood was everywhere, splattering against the walls of the cavern and pooling on the floor. The dim light of the dying fire made the liquid reflect strangely as I fought for breath. Five or six guards lay around my friend, their expressions frozen forever as they lay on the hard stone of the cave. A few of them still had their weapons clutched in their hands, rendered useless now that their lives had been taken. Léon's body was the worst of them all. The blood seeping from his wounds mixed with those that he killed. The robes, normally white, were so soaked in blood that it turned into a red uniform accented with white. In one hand was his hidden blade and the other held a sword, not one of his but one of his opponents. The sabers were not on his back, and I assumed that they were farther in the hideout or else taken as a prize of victory. At first, I thought of him dead until I saw the desperate rise and fall of his chest, and the heard the weak hacking. One or two of the guards moaned as well in some sort of response, but I ignored them as I bent down over Léon and pushed him onto his back.

His face showed many lacerations, and one eye had a large scratch running vertically down the side of his face, impairing his sight and rendering the right eye unusable. I swallow hard as I press my hands down onto the largest puncture in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. As I did so, he wrenched his one remaining eye open, raised his head a bit, and flashed me a small smile. Even his teeth were stained with red.

More blood bubbled at his mouth as Léon spoke to me softly. "Are you…hurt, Ava?"

I could feel the tears coming as blood began to leak through my fingers. I shake my head no. The Assassin sighed and let his head fall back onto the ground. The sound of his voice jars me from my grief momentarily. I hear my voice get high pitched with desperation as I start to break down.

"Listen, we need to get you out of here! We can go over the cliffs, head into town! I know herbs that can help you! Yarrow for bleeding, plantain for infections, all that! We can get some wraps and w-"

"It's too late for that." Léon interrupts me, his breathing getting shallower. "I'm afraid it's too late for that. You know it too."

I don't move my hands away from his chest as he closes his good eye. "How did this all happen? Were you…discovered?"

"Even the greatest hero… slips up once in a while. I was outnumbered, and the fight…ing was not in the open. I was cornered. I managed to…take down…a few." I hear the shuffling of feet and the soft thump of a boot kicking a dead guard. Léon sighs again. I want to wail out loud that his answer doesn't explain anything. But for his sake, I hold in my thoughts. I bite my tongue hard until I taste the metallic taste of my own blood. I wipe a stray tear as I remember the reason I dashed over here in the first place.

"I found out who the Templar is. It's Trevor."

"Then you…must be…the one to finish him, Ava."

I recoil in shock as he continues. Each word Léon speaks seems to cost him extreme effort. "Your master…is going to enslave you…farther, if you let him live. I know you don't want…to," he cuts across the start of my plea, "but the needs of many outweigh…the needs of…one, right?"

The teardrops are flooding out of my eyes now. I make no attempt to stop them as they run down my face and drip onto Léon's robe. I sniff silently and nod my head. My voice cracks and the words I speak are merely a whisper.

"I'll try."

I still don't remove my hands from the gruesome wound in his chest. The last words of the Assassin are merely a breath as he struggles with the sounds.

"Thank…you…Ava. I'm glad…to." That's it. Silence after that. The only noise now is the sound of my own heart, beating fast and drum-like. I cease with putting pressure on the wound, letting my bloody hands drop to my sides. The blood clashes with Léon's dark skin as it continues to pool out. My hands are sticky from trying to stop the flow. I'm absolutely sobbing now. The Assassin looks incredibly at peace now, at peace from the cruel world he was brought into, that we all were brought into.

I sit there for what seems like forever until I remind myself of the duty I promised my friend and I pick myself up off the ground. I sway slightly as my vision bobbles around. The world seems like it has turned itself upside down. I shoot one more glance at the dead body of my friend. Part of me doesn't want to leave him there, but what choice do I have?

I stumble blindly into the deeper parts of the cave. Before I kick the fires out, I search the cavern until I find what I'm looking for. The sabers; tucked away into the corner of the cave behind a crate. They seem undamaged. I remove my bow before slinging them over my shoulder. I fasten the leather strap and pull the bow on again, over the opposite shoulder. The swords are heavy, but not impossible to carry.

As I exit the cave, I whisper a few words to Léon as a last rite. His body will most likely be taken away by the guards. Maybe thrown into the ocean. Or perhaps buried somewhere in an unmarked grave. Hopefully, his troubles are over. But it seems that mine are only just beginning.

I travel back home with all of my weapons, swords included. It's slow at first, having to adjust to the extra weight of the sabers, but I eventually get the hang of leaping through the trees again. It starts to snow on my way back, and I wish that I had brought my shawl. In my hurry to see Léon, I had forgotten all about it. My mind is whirring too fast, and in my haste, I slip and plummet to the ground on the forest. My body lands with an awful thud, and snow from the branches covers me as I lie, shivering, on the ground. Instead of getting up, I curl up on the floor of the woods. My tears start to prick my eyes again as I consider my options.

Could I really kill a man? I don't know if I had the strength in me. I understand that I promised my friend that I would do it, but the repercussions for doing so would be great. Not just for me, but for all the people I cared about. But if I don't do anything, we may be subjected to torture by the Templars. And that is a fate worse than death.

My eyes flicker as I remember the first time I had seen the Assassin. Fighting like all hell had been unleashed to do his bidding. He had saved me, taught me about who he was, and what he fought for, and I had gotten him killed because of it. It was my fault that the guards had found him, most likely under Trevor's orders. I owed him a debt. And I hated owing people. The least I could do was repay his last wish. It's what my father would have done, I realize with a jolt of nostalgia. For home.

It was at that moment that I realized just how homesick I really was. My longing for my tribe mates had been repressed for the longest times, but with the drama of the Assassins and the Templars, they have been awoken.

I pick myself up off the cold ground and scrambled back up a tree. I spend the rest of the time on my journey trying to figure out how I was going to be able to do this. To find the opportunity and gather the courage to kill a man that has enslaved me for more than half of my life. I can't come up with anything by the time I reach the slave hut again, and I'm met with a sight that causes me to panic.

A horse drawn carriage is being lead through the snow, up to the manor. I can just barely make out the features of one of Trevor's Templar friends, one of the men whom he was talking to. Tucked under his arm is a box no bigger than a jewelry chest, simple and plain in design. The Templar flicks the reigns, and the horse breaks into a trot as they head towards the manor. Even from this distance, I can see that one of the lights in the manor is still on.

I feel my body seize up. The chest must contain the package that will be delivered to the Grandmaster the next day. Then, Trevor will get rid of us. For good. With the successful delivery of the item, he will have no need for us anymore. Who knows what he'll do to us?

It was now or never.

I have to kill my master now.

Trembling from cold and fear, I race up to the manor. The snow starts to fall thicker as I near the white walls of the house. The cart with the package stops at the front porch, and I hide around the corner when I reach the manor. When I peek around the corner, I'm able to see Trevor come out, receive the package from his accomplice, and go back inside, slamming the door on his way. The man driving the cart climbs back into his carriage, no doubt to go home and warm up with his family. With a snap of the reigns, he fades into the whiteness

Now that I had a set goal, how was I to reach it? Walking in the front door was obviously not an option, but perhaps I could climb in through a window? I come out of my hiding spot and approach the porch. A large pole supports the roof of the deck, and windows are easily accessible if I can get on top of that. I take a running start, then launch myself at the pole. I grab a small ledge around halfway up, and I use that as a support for my body as I shimmy up the rest of the way. I'm at the top in no time, to my bewilderment. Cautiously, I open a window and creep inside, shutting it carefully to keep the warmer air inside.

I've been upstairs before, and I assume that the chest well be located in Trevor's study. I take small, quiet steps as I travel to the end of the hall and around a corner. The study is the first door on the left, and I feel a small glimmer of satisfaction when I can see that the light is on. The door is left ajar, and I open it a tad. Three candle are lit as I creep inside the room. It's fairly large, with a desk and a chair and another large table in the back of the room. And sitting on the table is the chest.

I walk briskly over to the ornate object. The design is more complex then I could see from a distance. The design is beautiful; crisscrosses of gold line the box, and a small clasp seals it. My hand is on the lid when I hear the voice I expected to when I entered the building.

"What are you doing here?"

Trevor's scathing question doesn't make me jump. Instead, I turn around. His face is many deep shades of red as he sees the Native American slave girl, dressed in a dirty white shirt and too small blue pants. Complete with leather boots, a red sash, and almost every weapon imaginable. His eyes narrow in a brief flash of confusion, and perhaps fear, but it passes through before I can really tell.

"Nice box you've got here." I start. I try to keep the fear out of my voice for the time being, and it seems to work. "What's inside?"

Trevor's eyes flick to the bow, then the swords. A nasty smile spreads across his face. "You've been hanging out with that Assassin, haven't you, you savage? What did he say, that we were the bad guys? That stupid Negro has been filling your head with lies, you stupid piece of shit."

My heart leaps slightly. "Maybe, but all I know is that you'll be planning on getting rid of us when this," I tap the chest, "is delivered to the head of the Templars. Am I right?"

"Slaves are expendable."

"Try telling that to them."

Trevor spits crossly, but then reclaims his calm stature. To my shock and surprise, he pulls out a sword from his belt. It's long, and sharp, and he twirls it for a second before looking me dead in the eye. "Do you want to know something, you stupid bitch?"

I stare blankly back at him. I need to keep my demeanor calm and intimidating, without showing my fear. But nothing could have prepared me for what Trevor was about to say.

"Heathrow didn't die of 'natural causes', like all you idiots thought. She died because I killed her."

I can feel the ground sway beneath my feet. My expression must have changed to one of shock, because Trevor takes his chance and continues. He studies the sword now, holding it up to his nose as he confesses.

"Yes, I was rather easy. Slipping foxglove into my grand mum's sister's porridge wasn't hard. Foxglove isn't easy to spot once it's in food, and soon enough the old coot was choking on her own vomit. After she died, she left me this place. I could continue my Templar duties without her constant hostility. She died in five minutes, flat." Trevor added, gripping the sword with both hands. His cold eyes lock with mine. "But I can kill you in less than that!"

I barely have time to duck out of the way before his charge reaches me. I hear the whistle of the sword pass by my ear as the edge of the deadly weapon catches me in the side. I gasp with a searing pain and clutch my side, feeling it wet once again with blood. Trevor spins on the spot as I struggle to pull out one of the sabers. When I finally wrench it out of the sheath, I can feel that it is too heavy in my hand, and I grip it with both hands to keep it level. I begin to feel panic rise in my chest as Trevor charges again. I try to sidestep, but my wound hampers me, and Trevor is ready for this trick. A leg flashes out, and I land hard. I'm forced to scramble backwards on all fours as the sword of my adversary comes down on where I was a heartbeat earlier. I find myself pinned against the corner, trembling, as my master points his sword over my heart. His expression shows triumph. I choke back a sob as I feel the cold blade press against my skin.

Trevor pulls the sword back, preparing for the final thrust. "Say good-bye, savage."

Almost unconsciously, I pull out my knife from my sash and stab it into the leg of my master. The blade sinks through the skin and lodges itself into his calf. Trevor howls with pain as he grabs for the knife, and I seize my chance as he is distracted. I kick out and catch him in the stomach, pushing him halfway across the study. I pull up my sword as Trevor drags the knife out of his leg, letting it fall to the floor. Blinded by pain and rage, he charges again. My mind flashes back to the first battle I saw, and I sidestep once more, clumsily swinging for the other leg. The second hiss tells me I've found my target, and I kick the back of the legs to down Trevor. As he falls to his knees, I slide the edge of the saber over his throat, and pull back. It comes back bloody.

Trevor lets out a gasp that's cut short. He grasps for his throat and falls to the ground. I'm amazed to see how fast his life ebbs away, bleeding out onto the wooden floor. He shudders once, then twice, then no more. The master that had tormented me for half my life, the one who killed his own kin to get what he wanted, was dead. By my hand. My sword falls to the ground with a clatter. I had killed someone. I had sunk as low as anyone could go. I was becoming an Assassin; something I didn't want to be at all. And I had never felt more scared than I had felt in my life.

As I stood still and pondered what would become of me, I realized that there was another thing that had to be taken care of. The anticipation chased my dark thoughts away for the moment. I step over the dead body of Trevor and halt next to the chest, fiddling with the clasp. I had to hide this from the Templars. Even if I wasn't going to be safe, at least the other slaves wouldn't have to suffer for my actions. Dumping it into the ocean, burying it underground, even taking it with me wherever I end up. Anything to get it away.

At last, the box opens. Inside are two items; a half-moon shape of rock on a piece of leather, and a glass sphere. The half-moon amulet forms some sort of necklace, but the sphere seems to have no practical use that I can tell. I pick it up, and it starts to glow at my touch. Gasping with shock, I drop it; it falls to the ground with a clatter, but it doesn't shatter. In a matter of seconds, the entire room is filled with thin threads of golden light, not unlike the design on the chest it was contained in. Mysterious symbols begin to flash on the walls, and the candles blow out. The only source of light in the room was the glass sphere, which was ringing oddly now. I stare in amazement as a sudden burst of brightness fills the room, brighter than the afternoon sun, and I shield my eyes from the glow, dropping my sword in the process.

When at last I sense that the light has died down some, I uncover my eyes, and to my utter amazement, a woman is standing right in front of me. She wears a long flowing white dress, and a complicated headpiece over her unruly black hair. She seems…transparent, almost. I can still see the outline of the table and chest behind her. What haunted me most about her were her eyes. Glassy and hollow looking, I felt as though she was staring into my soul, judging me. When she spoke, it seemed to echo throughout the room.

"Child, thank you for freeing me. If I had been contained for one day more, the world would have surely become unbalanced."

I take a tentative step forward. "Are you a spirit?" I breathe in amazement. My naivety is answered with a smile. Or perhaps a smirk. The woman's strange eyes lock onto my swords, and she smiles even wider.

"You are from the north, correct. By a large lake? I can see that your people need you, but not as much as this land needs you."

"What do you mean?"

The spirit waved her hand. "There are more people like him," she points to Trevor's unmoving body, "that seek to rule this land. It is part of your duty to stop them. You know what you must do, child."

My heart jumps in my throat. I know what she is trying to tell me, but that doesn't make me what to accept it. I squeeze my eyes shut and turn away. "I don't want to. I just want to go back to my village and forget all of this ever happened! I don't want to be a killer!"

"ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY!" The woman shrieks behind me, but that is all she says. The thin threads of golden light are gone, and I hear a small shattering, like someone stepping on a glass bottle. I whip around to find the woman gone. The glass sphere on the floor is now in a million pieces, unsalvageable for certain, and that is one problem off my chest. The words she spoke to me are still ringing in my ears, filling me with unspoken dread as I stride over, taking care not to step on the glass shards, and snatch the half-moon amulet from the chest. I can take care of this when I get farther away from the plantation. No one has come up to investigate the commotion, and I assume that no one has heard it. But someone will be up to check on my master in the morning, and then I'll be found out for sure. I just need to escape before I do.

I bend down to pick up the sword I dropped, sheath it, and walk out of the room, not once glancing back at the dead body behind me as I shut the door.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I barge into the slave hut, waking those closest to the door up in a frenzy. I rustle the ones who are still asleep and gather them in the center. Some of the rub there eyes, but others, like Robert and Sarah, are wide eyed and awake with excitement. I envy their blind enthusiasm as I count heads. There are just under thirty of us. It's a stretch, but we should be able to escape without anyone noticing if we move quickly. But it's at dawn when the guards check on us and rouse us for a day's work, and judging by the height of the moon through the smoke hole, that leaves us with two hours to get out of this place and somewhere safe. I'm pulled from my thoughts by the grumpy complaints from some of the older men, and my mind snaps back to the present.

"Listen, all of you. We're getting out, tonight. If you all are tired of living like this, we can hop on the horses and escape. Right up to the north. No one will dare follow us-."

"Expect Trevor!" One of the older men shouts from the back. "He'll send out a party, and we'll all get hanged, or shot! What's gotten into you, you stupid half breed?"

Some other voices jump to my defense, but I can tell that they are asking the same question. Samuel looks at me, and I can tell he has already guessed what happened.

I wanted to avoid telling the slaves the entire truth, but with everyone questioning me, what choice do I have now? Better to say it now than later, when I will be in more trouble from not only killing a man, but from hiding the truth as well.

I call for quiet, and it takes a long time before anyone settles down. When at last I have everyone's attention, I take a deep breath and confess.

"Trevor's not going to be hunting us. Because he's dead. Because I killed him."

Uproar. I shouldn't have expected anything less. Everyone is yelling and screaming. Husbands pull their wives closer. Robert and Sarah look at me with horrified eyes. Only Samuel and Jenny come to my defense, and it's a long time before anyone is silent. Accusing stares are thrown at me, and after a long period of quietness, Samuel speaks again.

"Listen. I don't know what Trevor did to deserve getting killed, but Ava never does anything without a reason. Y'all threatening to turn on her now, but think about it for a sec. Every person in this here room would've died if it weren't for Ava goin' out into the forest to hunt for us. No one asked her to do it. She did it because she didn't want any of us to starve. And now, we have a chance to live our lives again!" Some of the other slaves glance at each other uncertainly. "And turning against each other isn't goin' to help any of us. I'm gonna stick with Ava. Do what she says. If the rest of you want to come, that's fine. If you don't, have fun being slaves."

Samuel makes me seem braver than I actually am. In fact, it was he who persuaded me to go out and hunt for everyone so we didn't starve. But I don't mention anything. The rest of the slaves exchange glances. Eventually, we split into two groups. The ones that want to go with Samuel and I, including Jenny and Arthur the woodworker, stand in one corner. The ones who don't want to go stay in the other. Our group is the largest by far, and I sigh with relief and gratitude as one or two come over to join us from the other group.

"Alright." Samuel begins. "We will take the horses, saddle them up, and leave tonight. Grab all your belongings and meet us by the stables.

By the time we are all gathered in front of the horses, I reckon we have about an hour until dawn. Saddling them is slow work, but we eventually prep all the horses and climb onto their backs. I hop onto a white steed. Samuel climbs onto the black one that I was brushing not a day earlier. Jenny balances precariously with her two children on the strongest horse, deep brown with white hooves. The others pair off with each other, avoiding taking every horse in the stables. When we are finished, there are three horses left that we leave for the other slaves in case they change their minds. I strap the sabers onto the saddle, and tug the reigns slightly. With a cry of triumph, all of us ride off down the path, through the snow, and past the hut. As we gallop along the cliff, it comes to my mind on how we are so close to being free, just as Samuel had always predicted. We are abandoning the life that we lived for so long, and we don't look back as we disappear with a flurry of snowflakes.


So now the slaves are heading north. And we get to see Ava reunite with Connor and possibly meet more vigilante Assassins!

Hope you enjoyed!