Altaïr saw that the place where they were hiding didn't have any exit and they would be found quickly ... thinking fast, he looked at Maria and simply kissed her...

Maria was going to protest, but soon kissed him back, savoring his mouth. She put a hand on his head, while he put his hand on her back, putting her closely.

Soon, the Templars passed for them, stopping quickly to see the scene... the knights shook their heads and kept going…

Maria and Altaïr stayed there for a few minutes, until the separated and looked at each other.

"Altaïr…" She said.

"After..." He said. "Now, we have to get out of here... come..."

Altaïr picked her hand and they exited that place in a hurry.

After a few minutes, they arrived at the main street... the gate of the city was only a few meters from them, until:

"Stop you two!" yelled the captain.

Altaïr stopped, cursing the guards in his head, while Maria turned. He did the same.

The Templars were approaching, but stopped when they received an order. The Knight, who had recognized her, and she looked at each other for a few moments. The man took off his helmet and looked at her again…

She knew who he was ... a great friend of her and one of a few, who knew her secret…

"Pierre..." Said Maria.

The Templar looked at her and after to Altaïr...

"What are doing here, Maria?" the Knight asked. "And who is he?"

Altaïr looked at him... if looks could kill, theses Templars were dead by now!

"He is my..." She said. Altaïr looked at her. "Fiancé..."

Pierre nodded. Maria turned to him.

"And you?" She asked. "After our training, where did you go?"

"I stayed in England… until I was called!" Said Pierre "It's look like an Assassin attacked our people here in Acre... now, back to our, I didn't know you had left us..."

"Yeah..." She said. "I talked to Robert... said that I had fallen in love with someone and I wanted to get out… in the beginning he felt betrayed, but in the end..."

"Robert accepted..." Said Pierre. "And how did you guys meet?"

Altaïr smiled... now, he wanted to see...

Maria looked at her.

"Yeah, my love, tell him..." Said Altaïr, embracing her.

"It was..." tried Maria, and then she looked back at Pierre. "Ah, it was... love at first sight…"

Altaïr hold back a laugh to not spoil their disguises and Maria knew that at her side, he was having so much fun...

"Yeah... and now we are going to…" She continued. "What's the name of your city, love?"

Altaïr thought quickly... if he said Masyaf, the Templar would know he was responsible for the deaths...

"Allepo..." He said. "We are going to visit my father..."

Pierre nodded...

"And when are you going to marry?" Asked the Knight.

"Soon..." said Maria and Altaïr at the same time.

"If I'm still here, I want to be invited..." Said Pierre.

"Of course..." Said Maria.

"Well, we better get back to our post, before someone know what we are doing... and you... it's not safe to walk late…" Said Pierre "It was good to see you, Maria... I'm glad you met someone..."

Pierre put his helmet again and turned back, yelling orders..

Maria tried the control her breathing...

"Who is he?" Asked Altaïr, when they started to walk towards the gate again.

"He's a distant friend of mine... we graduated together in the Templars training..." Said Maria. "He is one of the few who knew my true identity…"

Altaïr nodded. If they had any more surprises…

They walked quietly towards the gate of the citadel... they knew it was going to be difficult to walk through the gates… Altaïr put Maria close and when it was their time, they said the same thing that they had said to Pierre and were permitted to leave…

When they passed the guards, both released the respiration they didn't know were holding...

After passing the cemetery, Altaïr said:

"Now we only have to meet with Ali and Waqar..."

Maria nodded as they walked the way to the village bellow.

"And as fast we get to Masyaf, the better..."

Maria looked down... Was he going to fulfill what he said before?

X ~ X ~ X