Oh my god! SO many reviews it is unbelievable! I love all of you! Thanks so much guys, and to Lucifer's Daughter: Here is the next chapter so you don't have to freak out and come hunt me down. :P Sorry about the cliffhanger guys, but I'm glad you all enjoyed it! Now, we are back to the stars. For those of you who don't remember, everything between a star is third person point of veiw (Altair's) So just reminding you about that. Now enough of my talk and on with the story!
-Aena Firestar
Chapter 8
The Meeting
Altaïr had made good time by leaving out as early as he did. He took his white horse, Antar. Antar was a fast horse. He was strong and quick and smart. They left out and sped off towards Damascus. They went non-stop until about mid-day, and they got there quicker than Altaïr thought. Guards were everywhere, as usual. He rode over to a shady spot by the wall. He stopped beside a grey stallion. The stallion raised his head and looked at Altaïr. The horse neighed and stomped his foot.
"Àlkimos?" said Altaïr. The stallion nodded his head. Altaïr got off and patted Àlkimos. He turned his head around and bit Altaïr's sleeve. Àlkimos snorted, and Altaïr looked at him. "Easy. I'm here to help Alera, so calm down." Altaïr turned back around to his horse and patted his neck. He looked around and saw a group of scholars walking towards the gate. He walked over to them. "Can I join you?" he asked. A scholar looked at him.
"You are dressed in the same robes as my savior. The white robe and hood and the blood red clothe band. Not to mention the weapons." He said.
"What do you mean?" said Altaïr.
"The girl who saved me. She was dressed like you. She was in all white and wore a blood red cloth band around her waist. She also had a sword and some knives. She didn't say her name but she wanted entrance into the city. I thought she was an angel at first, an angel of death, for she made quick work of the guards that were harassing me. Do you know her?" said the old man. Altaïr smiled at the angel comment.
"Yes, I do know her. I have business with her and I also need entrance into the city. Can you let me walk with you?"
"Of course my boy." Said the old scholar. Altaïr bent his head down and laced his fingers together. They soon slipped in passed the guards. Altaïr broke away after he was in the city. He ran through the back allies and decided to avoid the crowd. He was soon in the middle district. He scaled a building and reached the roof to get a better view of the city. As soon as he landed on top, he saw a flash of white just a few yards away from him, and the last trail of a white robe turning a sharp corner. Altaïr soon heard the clank of metal not far behind. He ran behind some crates and peeked around the corner. The guards were running across the roof, and they sped up. It was a lot of them. Altaïr estimated about ten.
After they were out of sight, he ran right in behind them. He hid behind the square base of a tower-perch. He looked around the corner again and he saw the white robed, hooded figure again. He looked closer and strained his vision harder. He ran his eyes up and down the figure. He saw the long, but strong legs as they carried the figure faster and farther. She jumped from rooftop to rooftop, but always managed to stay in Altaïr's sight. He ran his eyes up some more and saw the slender waist and abdomen. He went further up and saw the leather straps that fit tightly against the chest. He then had to make himself look away and up further. He saw the breast-length, blonde hair blowing in the wind as the figure raced across in a full sprint. It was defiantly Alera.
She started to slow down. He could tell she was giving out and that she had been running for quite a while. He knew he had to do something because the guards were catching up. He ran as silent as he could along the rooftop. He dropped down to a lower one and followed the last guard. He jumped up and drove his hidden blade through the soft neck. He put his right hand over the guard's mouth and laid the body down.
He looked ahead at Alera and saw that she was heading for a section with higher levels of roofs and was hoping to loose them in there. Altaïr knew there was a roof garden in the midst of it all. He jumped back on top and ran across again. He threw a knife into the back of the last guard's head. He didn't scream, he just grunted and fell to the ground. Altaïr took back his knife and wiped the blood off onto the guard's clothes. He then dropped back to a lower level. "Eight left." He thought to himself.
He ran on up ahead of them all, but as he did, he noticed an odd thing. A golden eagle was following Alera. She didn't see it but it was right above her, looking down on her. Altaïr disregarded the eagle for now and ran towards the roofs. He ran for the garden and jumped in behind the curtains. He looked out and saw Alera slowly walking around. She would get behind one and look around the corner and then she would slowly walk closer. Altaïr got out of the garden and looked around the corner. He started to get closer to her but heard someone run up from behind. He turned around and stabbed the guard with his hidden blade.
"Over here!" he heard a guard shout. He saw Alera turn around and run for the garden. He turned back around too and jumped in. They were on opposite sides. He just stood there and waited on her. He heard her foot steps get closer. She jumped in backwards. She had her back to him and closed the curtain behind her. She was breathing heavily. Then, they both heard guards come up. Alera slowed her breathing into a hushed whisper. She looked out of the crack in the curtain and she saw two guards looking around. She backed up. Altaïr walked slowly up to her.
I was so out of breath and couldn't catch it. I slowly backed up, but then, I felt something. It was like the pulse of another's aura. I turned around and was ambushed by a hand over my mouth and an arm around my shoulder. He pulled me to him so I would hush. There was another Assassin with me! My eyes widened. *Altaïr put his finger over his mouth.* "Shhh." He whispered so quietly. I realized how close we were. I could feel a bit of heat coming off of his body. I nodded slowly. He let me go.
He turned and looked out of another curtain. The guards were still there. I just kept still and quiet, my eyes were constantly scanning over this other assassin with me. I didn't quite know who he was yet. I looked him up and down. He was tall and tan. He had broad shoulders and muscled arms. I was kind of attracted to him all at once. He turned around and walked back to me. "Their gone." He said. That was when it hit me. "That voice." I thought to myself. "That deep, quiet voice that could have you in a trance."
"Altaïr?" I said. I shocked myself a little bit as the name came out of my mouth in a whisper. I couldn't see his eyes. His hood blocked it all. I saw his mouth form into a smile. "I… I don't…" I stuttered. I was at a loss of words for this. "I can't believe it!" I thought. Altaïr smiled at me. *Her loss of words amused him and she seemed relieved or happy to see him. What made him smile even more was how she said his name, in a hushed whisper.*
"Alera." He said.
"What are you doing here? I can't believe it! Did you follow me?" I said. I wasn't mad, but I wasn't exactly happy to see him. I was happy he saved me from the guards but was also shocked to see him. So many emotions were swirling around. I didn't know whether to throw my arms around him and thank him or to just stand there and talk to him.
"Alright, Alright. Slow down. I'm on an assassination mission." He said. I searched what little facial expressions I could piece together. The fact that his hood covered his eyes made it a bit difficult.
"That is it? Then how do you explain running into me, and saving me?" I said.
"It was a bit of a coincidence. Right place at the right time is what I guess you could call it. I saw you being chased by the guards on the roof tops and I wanted to help you." That kind of struck me as odd. I took a step back.
"That doesn't sound like you at all. I don't trust that." I said, my voice getting a little harsher.
"How do you know my mannerisms? How does it not sound like me? You don't even know me, Alera." He said. Not harshly, surprisingly. I hated to admit it, but he was right. I didn't know him.
"Yeah. I guess your right." I said. I turned around to get out.
"So why exactly are you here Alera?" he said. I turned around and looked back at him.
"I don't have to tell you that. Not yet at least." I said quietly. *Altaïr's hunger grew even more but he decided not to advance further. He didn't want to get into a fight just yet.*
"Very well. I will not push you." He said.
"But now that you have told me of an assassination, I want to help." Altaïr smiled. He strode past me and jumped out. I jumped out behind him. "What?" I caught up to him and walked beside him.
"Nothing. I just don't need your help." He said. I laughed.
"Please Altaïr. Your going to need all the help you can get. I'm coming. Whether you like it or not." He stopped and turned to look at me. I put my hands on my hips. The shadow of his hood covered his eyes. I saw a smirk play over his smooth lips.
"Lets hope you can keep up." He said with a tone that made me a bit intrigued. I stepped up closer to him, less than a foot away. I think I had a little pang of lust go through me; after all he was very good looking… The tan skin… The muscled arms and the great looking body… His smooth lips that were still in a smirk. "Wow, I have never paid this much attention to him." I thought. I licked my lips and bit my bottom one.
"Try me." I said in a half whisper. *Altaïr couldn't help but give an alluring smile. Alera was looking good. He knew the hood covered his eyes, so she didn't see them as they ran up and down her body. Her body language suggested that she was a bit attracted to him, but the way she licked her lips and softly bit her bottom one set his thought into a stone fact. "I am going to enjoy teasing her." He thought.* I saw another smile come up on his face. I walked to my right a little bit. "Besides, I haven't assassinated anyone in a while. I miss the special adrenalin of that."
"Not to mention the bloodthirstiness." He said with a certain… Something in his voice. The feeling got stronger. I looked back at him and smiled a bit.
"I know exactly what you mean. Trust me." He smiled back, then quicker than I could react, he turned around and started to run up the wall. I was right on his heels. It was a bit of a race I guessed, but I'm game. We ran across the rooftops at full speed and back to the Assassin's bureau. The roof was open and he dropped down in first and waited on me. I jumped down and bent my knees so I could absorb the shock and not hurt myself. I raised back up to be met with another one of those smirks from him.
"Don't get too excited. I let you win that." I said.
"Of course you did." He said with sarcasm. I narrowed my eyes playfully, and walked past him and into the bureau room.
"Alera! My goodness look at you! I haven't seen you in ages. You have grown up into a fine young woman." Said the Rafiq. He was probably about in his late thirties or mid forties. I smiled.
"Thank you." I said.
"Planning to take another life today?" he said.
"I am. Although, I did not come alone, I am following this time. Altaïr is the one I'm hunting with. He's the one who is doing the assassination. I just tagged along." Altaïr walked in.
"Altaïr. It's good to see you… and in one piece." Said Rafiq.
"You as well, friend." Altaïr said coolly.
"I'm sorry for your trouble."
"Think nothing of it."
"A few brothers of yours were here earlier, in fact, oh if you'd heard the things they'd said, I'm certain you would have slain them where they stood."
"It's quite alright."
"Yes. You've never been one for the Creed, have you?"
"Is that all?" said Altaïr, *getting agitated and not yet wanting to reveal past events to Alera.*
"I'm sorry… Sometimes I forget myself." Said Rafiq. I looked at him and then to Altaïr.
"I don't want to know do I?" I said.
"I'll tell you about it later, if you don't find out for yourself." He said. I rolled my eyes.
"What business brings you two to Damascus?" said Rafiq.
"A man named Tamir. Al Mualim takes issue with the work he does. I'm meant to end it." He said.
"Wait. I know that name. I heard two guards talking about him. He has dealings in trading arms and armor. He does it illegally though. He might be a part of the black market. Or he might just have his own illegal branch." I said. The Rafiq laughed.
"She wasn't even assigned to the mission and she already knows more than you." He said. Altaïr looked at me.
"Hey, it's not like I was looking for them. I just came up on them by accident. I was curious as to what they were talking about, so I eavesdropped." I said.
"Good, maybe you can tell us where to find him then. If you already know so much." Said Altaïr with a tone that made my face get hot with anger.
"Listen, I am trying to help you. I do not know where to find him. That was the only info that I picked up! If you're going to go into arrogant, bitchy leader mode, then I am going to leave you here, gather the information up myself and kill him myself." I said. *Altaïr saw her blue eyes light up with fire.* He stepped closer to me. He was a bit taller than me still and I had to look up slightly. I saw his green eyes and he was close enough to where I felt the heat coming off of his body, again. *Altaïr was loving every minute of this, knowing he was touching on a nerve in her.*
"And just how exactly are you going to keep me here?" he said inquisitively.
"I'll tie your ass up if I have to." I said. He laughed a little bit. His lips forming another sly smile.
"That should be fun. You can certainly try. It would be a short fight and I would wind up pinning you to the ground." He said. His words were riddled with innuendo. We had totally forgotten that there was another person in the room. I managed to brake myself from Altaïr's green, strangely alluring gaze and looked at the Rafiq. *Altaïr smiled to himself, realizing how much mental energy it took for Alera to take her eyes off of him.*
"Ah-hem." Rafiq cleared his throat. Altaïr looked at him too. "I really do not want to know what you two do in your spare time, so save that for later and let us get back to more important matters." He said. I felt myself blush heavily. It was a good thing my hood was up, but I nudged Altaïr away from me just incase he could see.
"Is there anything else you can tell us about Tamir?" I said, trying to change the subject and calm myself down.
"You were right for the most part. Tamir does make his living as a black market merchant, so the souk district should be your destination. I suggest you seek out the following places: a small souk to the east, and in the gardens north of this Bureau. Focus on these places and it should become well known to the both of you."
"I assume you want us to return to you when this is done?" said Altaïr.
"Yes. Come back to me. I'll give you Al Mualim's marker, and you'll give us Tamir's life." Said Rafiq
"So it shall be done." I said.
"But remember you two, if you find yourself in trouble, and the city turned against you, return to the Bureau. I can shelter you from the storm. Be warned though. If your enemies are too close, the door will remain closed until you've lost them. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Altaïr and I said in unison. We looked at each other.
"To bring the enemy inside would compromise the Brotherhood." Said Altaïr.
"Oh! So you have finally learned one tenant of the Creed." I said with sarcasm. Altaïr gave me a look.
"Don't push it." He said.
"Oh I'll push it as far as I want." I said defiantly and with a smile. I walked back through the door and climbed up and out of the roof and waited for Altaïr. *Altaïr stood there, looking after Alera as she walked out. He looked back at Rafiq.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go after her! After all, you are both on the same mission. Work together. You will get things done a lot faster." He said. Altaïr smirked but made sure he did not see. He climbed up and out after Alera.*
"Well, who's going where? Are we splitting up or going the same way?" I said, eager to get things going.
"That depends on what you want to do." He said.
"If there is someone that needs interrogating, I can do that." I said. Altaïr looked away. He snorted and laughed. I took a step in front of him and looked straight at him. "Oh that's why you're laughing! I forgot I was a woman. I'm weak and know nothing about the world, so I should do all the things that do not require physical movement and violence." I said with sharp sarcasm. He looked at me.
"That's not what I said." he said calmly.
"Maybe, but that's what you were thinking." I said.
"No. You are a woman. You are not restricted from all things that require physical movement. Now, the violence part depends on how fast and rough you want to go." He said. He took a few steps closer to me. I backed up. All I saw was that damn charming smile of his. "Damn innuendoes!" I thought to myself.
"Focus Altaïr. We have a job to do. I want to get physical! I am sick and tired of sitting in the shadows and doing the simple stuff. I want to fight! I want a challenge. You will not stop me from that." I said. He looked at me. It was actually more of a stare.
"Throw your hood back." He said coolly.
"No. Now you're just trying to change the subject." I said.
"I have only seen a little of your face and I know you have changed. Throw back your hood and I'll throw back mine." He said.
"Quit changing the subject. I'm still fighting, whether you like it or not."
"I can keep you from doing that." He said. I shook my head.
"We have work to do and I am not going to sit here and argue with you." I said. I turned around and jumped off the roof. I was heading for the gardens first. I didn't care if Altaïr followed or not, I just wanted to get this mission done so I could resume looking for the murderer. I heard something or someone drop down behind me. I walked through a back alley and heard footsteps following me. I stopped and turned around. I saw the hooded figure walk past me.
"What are you waiting for? You were so eager to get underway." He said. I bit back a comment. I didn't want to start anything else. We walked on for about twenty minutes and something caught my eye, two suspicious men talking in the shadows. I stopped short and Altaïr bumped into me. I looked back at him.
"Pay attention." I snapped.
"Don't stop short." He snapped back. I held my self back from elbowing him in the stomach. Considering the fact that he was so close to me, I could have easily got him. "Why did we stop?" he asked.
"Why don't you see for yourself?" I said. He came around my right side and looked at the two guys. "Ah… There you are." I mumbled to myself. "He has a pouch on his left side." I said to Altaïr.
"Ok. So go get it." He said.
"God, you can be such a bitch." I said. I looked away and walked on, smiling to myself and not wanting wait for a glare or comment. I came around the corner and stayed close to the wall. I missed what they said but followed the guy with the pouch. I came up close to him and he stopped. "Shit!" I mumbled to myself. I stopped and turned around, trying to act as non- chalant as I could. I saw Altaïr leaning against the wall, just watching me. He smiled and laughed. I gave him the 'up-yours' sign. I turned back around and followed the guy again. I came up on him and nicked it! I got the letter. It was perfect and a clean steal. I turned around and came back to Altaïr. I waved the letter at him.
"Here's your letter." I said with bitter words.
"You did good but took awhile. Try to get better at that." He said. I walked on into the back ally. I held my hand up and shot my hidden blade out. It came out between my ring and middle finger. I was flipping him off with my hidden blade. I heard him laugh a little. He came up beside me and put his hand on my shoulder.
"Time and place." He whispered to me. He was so close to me that I felt his breath go in my hood and down my neck. I had chills go down my back. I sheathed my hidden blade and grabbed his arm and twisted it around behind him and shoved him up against the wall. I thought I had him, but then, somehow, he managed to reverse it on me. He grabbed my wrist and twisted it back around, then he grabbed my other hand and had both my hands in a death grip.
He pushed me up against the opposite wall. His body pressed up against mine. He was so close to me and had me pinned. He looked down into my eyes. "Do you really want to start this right now?" he said. If I knew I wouldn't get in trouble and possibly exposed, I would have screamed RAPE right then. But that would have gotten both me and him in trouble and I didn't really want to deal with that at the moment. I had no choice but to meet his green gaze. *Altaïr stared down into the blue, flaming eyes. He knew he had made her mad. He also knew he was touching on one of those 'weaknesses' Al Mualim told him about, because he saw the slightest traces of something else in her eyes. It wasn't fear or anger, but he couldn't place it at the moment.*
"Are you done now?" he said. I pulled myself away from his gaze for a few seconds, and struggled to get loose. He pushed me up against the wall. My back was flat and his hips were with mine. His chest was up against mine and pretty much everything was up against mine. The lust was gone, anger and stubbornness was there in its place… And maybe lust was still there, because I kind of liked him this close to me.
"If I say yes will you let me go?" I said turning my gaze back on him. He had moved in closer to me. I had stopped struggling. A very weird and strange thought ran through my head. "I wonder what would happen if I wrapped my legs around him?…" I mentally shook the thought away.
"Well, that depends if you mean it." He said, bringing me back to reality. Now anger and lust were mixed together… Not a good combination.
"And if I don't?" I said with a bite. Altaïr smiled and leaned forward. We were inches away. My eyes searched his face. His lips were teasing me with that signature smirk only he could pull off.
"I could stay like this all day. Your choice." "Funny how I could stay like this too…" I thought. I studied him for a second and decided I would rather do this again when we are in a room, rather than on a street. He seemed to loosen up a little bit, and his eyes got… Softer. When his eyes did get softer on me, my lust went away for a few seconds and was replaced with something else…
"Yes I'm done, for now." I said. He smiled.
"Maybe the next time you decide to attack me we will be completely alone. And we can both just fight and get it out of our systems." I pushed him off of me. I gave him one last glare and went on my way again.
Oh! Lust and passive aggressive flirting! Sexual tension is in the air! Don't ya just love it? Read and review! Thanks guys!
