A/N: Yeah, I said you guys were going to hate me. Skipping all of Zyra's training and stuff... But I needed time to move faster, so I skipped a year. So there. Enjoy! Please review!

CHAPTER TEN

One Year Later

I was flying. Plain and simple. That was the only word to describe what I was doing.

My training had come a long way in the year I spent learning from Altaïr, and I could keep up with him wherever we went now.

I hadn't killed anyone yet, but Altaïr did have a few more scars from my 'skills' with a blade. He now had a semi long scar that ran from above his upper lip and onto and below his lower lip on the right side of his face. We had been doing weapons training one day, and I caught him slightly off guard. I hadn't meant to hurt him.

Now we were doing a mission, my first, in Acre, sent here by Al Mualim to kill a high ranking Templar Knight. Some guards had spotted us and raised the cry of 'Assassin!' and we were running for our lives over the rooftops to hide and make it back to the bureau and safety.

I stayed close on Altaïr's heels seeing as I didn't know my way around Acre that well, and if we got separated, I would probably get caught, and eventually be executed.

I didn't mind the risks that came with this job. I got to rid the world of evil, and I got a pretty great adrenalin rush while doing it. So it all canceled out.

Altaïr ducked to the left behind a pole, and I followed, sneaking a quick look behind us to look for guards. What I didn't know was that Altaïr had pulled up short at the edge of the roof, and I bowled into him at full speed, throwing us both into the open air where we both landed rather ungracefully in a heap, arms and legs tangled together.

Altaïr was on his feet again in a moment, and I expected him to stop and yell at me for my carelessness, but he just melted into the thick crowd, and I followed close behind him.

Altaïr had become more and more relaxed and carefree as the days wore on, but he was still serious when he needed to be. I was beginning to like him more and more, with his dark eyes and slightly arrogant nature.

As we made our way across the street, gently pushing civilians out of our way, a group of twelve guards ran down the street right past us. Altaïr pulled me into a shadowed alley out of the way, and sat down behind some piled crates.

He burst into laughter, and I gave him a confused look.

"What are you laughing at?" I asked him.

"That was the most fun I've had on a mission yet, though I think I may have popped a rib out of place when you landed on top of me," he said, wincing slightly for a dramatic effect. I scowled. "Ooh, you're scaring me there."

I turned away from him and scouted the streets for any straggling guards. I heard him get up and felt him behind me, almost too close for comfort. Or just close enough, depending on how you looked at it. His hot breath tickled my neck. I turned to look up at him from beneath my hood.

"The coast is clear. Do you want to keep going or get back to the bureau?" He looked past me, over my shoulder, and his eyes widened a bit before he grabbed me and threw me back into the darkness.

His body was on top of mine, his head hovering above and slightly to left the left of mine as he peered around the crate to watch whatever had made him throw me in the first place. A dark look replaced the contented look on his face, and he didn't even have to explain what was wrong.

"Templars?" I whispered in his ear. He just nodded. I tried to keep my breathing steady as his weight crushed me against the ground before he finally realized I could hardly breathe. He lifted his torso off of mine, holding it in the air above me, propping himself up with his elbows. His eyes never left the Templars.

I couldn't see anything because of the crates, but I felt him relax above me, and he looked down at me, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

"Sorry for crushing you," he said huskily. I knew he was lying. I knew he found it immensely amusing. I pushed up against his chest, but he only let more of his weight rest on me. And he was heavy. I kept pushing, but to no avail.

"Do you enjoy torturing me?" I asked him, false anger coloring my voice. He just chuckled before he stood, offering me a hand to help me up. He was very protective, and avoided doing reckless things when we were out together. I don't think I minded much.

I stood, brushing the dust off my white robes, checking to make sure my hood was still in place while I was at it. Altaïr loved to make fun of me because I was still a grey hooded novice, but that was because he never let me do anything on the missions aside from the occasional pick pocketing job. I was getting pretty good at that. Altaïr laughed a bit more then scaled the wall, and I climbed up behind him.

Once we reached the roof, he took off at a fast paced run, gliding over the rooftops ahead of me. I kept up with him, making sure to keep a close eye on the streets. We made it back to the bureau in no time, and we both dropped through the hole in the roof, landing silently on the floor.

The Rafiq, Fahad, stepped into the room, making sure it was just us. I waved at him, and he smiled.

"There's the little one," he said. "And unfortunately, she still has the big, greedy, stinky one with her." He was just joking, of course. I liked him a lot more than the Rafiq at Damascus, as he was more laid back.

Fahad was one of the people who was comfortable with my being a woman. Others still plotted for mine and Altaïr's downfall, but many had warmed up to the idea of a woman assassin among them.

We laughed, and moved into the other room. Altaïr and I sat at the only table in the room, and Fahad stood behind the counter, studying maps and other things.

"Altaïr," he said after a while. "Are you going to kill this Templar Knight, or toy with him until he decides to leave?"

"I have gathered enough information about him, and along with the information you have given me, I should be able to finish the job tomorrow," Altaïr replied, throwing a glance in my direction. I didn't know what that glance meant, but I wasn't sure if I liked it.

"Good, because I'm ready to be rid of you," he said jokingly. "But you, Zyra, can stay as long as you like. Your company is far easier to keep than his."

I laughed, and Altaïr laughed beside me. Our laughter faded into silence, and Altaïr stood after a few minutes.

"Come, Zyra. There is something I need to discuss with you." I stood up willingly enough, and followed him out of the room and through the hole in the roof. He didn't stop once he reached the roof, just kept on running.

I followed him, noting what turns we took and familiar landmarks in case he decided that he was going to leave me. A tall building came into view, and I noticed that we were headed straight for it.

I was about to ask what was going on when Altaïr ran slightly up the side wall of the towerand found a hand hold. He flashed me a smile before he started climbing the side of the tower. I shook my head, but followed him up the side of it.

It took me maybe five minutes to climb all the way up the tower, and when I reached the top, Altaïr was sitting on the edge of the circular fence made of stone that was supposed to prevent people from falling from the tower. Altaïr's legs dangled over the side, and I was tempted to nudge him a bit, just to get his blood pumping, but decided against it.

I looked around me, gazing out at the city sprawled around me. It was beautiful, and we sat in silence, watching the sun set.

"This is where I come to think, when I want to get away from people while I'm here. It was abandoned a little while ago, so nobody comes up here but me." Altaïr's voice was quiet, but without the noise of the city, I could hear him well. I walked to his side, and he glanced up at me before swinging his legs over the barrier and standing upright next to me.

He pulled me over to one of the sides and pulled me down to sit next to him. It was getting cold up that high, and I sat closer to him. Altaïr was always warm.

"I'm going to need you to help me tomorrow," he began. "There's going to be a lot of people trying to kill us, and I need you to watch my back."

"Of course," I said.

"I'll have yours, but if I get injured, I don't want you to stay there with me," he said, his tone growing serious. "I want you to get the hell out of there, and hide in the Bureau until it's safe to come out. I know you've heard this before, but I want to reiterate, because this mission in dangerous. Templars aren't like the regular city guards. They're smarter and well trained."

I nodded solemnly. I had heard this before, but Altaïr had never been this serious when going over rules for a mission with me.

"I'll go for the target, but I need you to watch my back and keep them off of me." His voice grew gentler. "I know you haven't killed anyone yet, and I've been lenient on you. But this time, you're going to have to kill people. Can you do that?"

I nodded mutely. I knew the time would come for killing, but I didn't know if I could bring myself to take a man's life. But I knew I would, because one specific man's life was more valuable than the lives of men I didn't know. And I would do anything to protect this man from harm.

Altaïr's gaze was on the sunset, but I could tell he was preoccupied, so I took the time to study his face and commit it to memory. My eyes roved over his gently curving lips, his stubble covered chin, his deep eyes.

His eyes closed, and he heaved a sigh. I leaned my head to rest on his shoulder. It was getting colder, and I was getting tired. I was almost asleep when Altaïr stirred. I picked my head up of his shoulder, taking the offered hand after he was standing. He pulled me to my feet, but I was unprepared when he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and back, pulling me against his chest.

I sighed, falling into a mini moment of bliss. All too soon he let me go. I watched him as he walked over to a small, thin wooden platform jutting out from the stone barrier. He searched the landscape below him, and after a few seconds, threw himself gracefully into the air, arms spread wide.

I stepped up to the platform. My stomach flip flopped as I saw the height. This was the highest I had ever jumped from, but I really didn't feel like climbing all the way back down, so I located the pile of hay, aimed, and jumped from the platform.

My breath caught in my throat as I fell, hurtling towards the ground. Then, it was over. I stood, hopped over the side of the cart, and brushed stray pieces of hay from my robes. Altaïr stood a short distance away from me, and when my knees stopped wobbling, I walked to his side, and we made our way back to the bureau.