Chapter 10

La Volpe

Isabel's POV

I let Ezio keep his pants the next morning. I woke up before he did and went down to get breakfast.

"Buongiorno Isabel."

I smiled at Claudia.

"Buongiorno Claudia."

"Did you like Ezio's surprise?"

I smiled at her and nodded.

"Very much."

"Buongiorno."

I smiled at Ezio as he walked in. He smiled at Claudia and then came to me. He kissed me and then leaned towards my ear.

"Thank you for leaving me my pants."

I chuckled and shook my head.

Later on, Ezio went to find his uncle.

Ezio's POV

I found my uncle in his study.

"Look familiar?"

I looked at the wall.

"Other codex pages."

"Yes. Your father managed to find and translate a few before he…"

I handed him another page.

"Here."

He opened it and looked a bit confused.

"This is not your father's work. Someone else has translated it."

"Leonardo da Vinci. A friend."

He put it on the wall and then stepped back to look at it.

"Do you see the way the words cross from one page to the next?"

I took a closer look and slowly nodded.

"There is something underneath it all. Some kind of map. Where is it supposed to lead?" I asked as I looked at him.

"Your father and I managed to make out bits of a prophecy scrawled across these pages. It was written by an Assassin like us, who long ago held a 'Piece of Eden'. His name was Altair. He spoke of something powerful and ancient hidden beneath the land."

"What is it?"

"What indeed. Solving that little mystery is exactly why we collected these pages."

I nodded and looked at him seriously.

"Then let me help. It's time I take on my father's work. All of it. I'll start with the page I took from Vieri. Leonardo will decode it for us."

"Bene. Return here when time permits and we'll add it to the wall. But first, there is something I must show you. Go find Isabel and bring her here. She should see this as well."

I nodded and went to find her.

"Isabel!?" I called.

She leaned over the railing from upstairs.

"Uncle wishes to show me something. He said he wants you there too."

She nodded and came down. We went back to the study and uncle hit something that made the bookshelf reveal a set of stairs. We followed him down the stairs and came to a large room with white marble. Isabel looked around and uncle nodded.

"This is the Sanctuary. It was built by my great-grandfather to honor the memory of the Assassin order and protect its secrets. Look around! These are the assassins who guarded the freedom of humanity when it was most threatened."

He walked down and towards the statue behind a gate.

"And this is the armor of Altair. Little is known about Altair's life, but his armor is light and very strong. I'd give it to you, but I don't know how to retrieve it. My great-grandfather told me it would remain locked away until all its protectors were made whole. I heard rumors of crypts located throughout Italia, hidden tombs filled with treasure where these six were moved centuries ago. Maybe they have something to do with it. In my younger days, I sought the six myself…with no success. Perhaps you and Isabel will have better luck."

He walked out and I saw Isabel in front of one of the statues.

"Isabel?"

She was just staring at it. I walked over and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Is something wrong?"

"She looks familiar. I don't know why but she does."

I looked at the statue. I wondered why she looked familiar to her. It was the statue of a woman named Il Tani, a Babylonian assassin. All I could see was that she had the same face as Isabel. I put my arm around her shoulders and had her look at me.

"You'll remember. And when you do I'll be here for whatever you need."

She smiled at me.

"We should go." she said.

I nodded and we left.

Isabel's POV

We went back to Firenze. Not much had changed in two years. People no longer seemed to remember who we were and they just looked at us as we passed. Some of them would nod or smile politely.

"This feels strange."

"Hm?"

I looked at him.

"It's as though we never existed."

"For now that's a good thing. But Leonardo will know us, and we both know he'll be happy to see us."

I smiled and nodded. We reached Leonardo's home and Ezio knocked on the door before going inside. He turned as we walked in.

"Ezio and Isabel…? You are still alive!"

He smiled as he came to us. Ezio looked around with a smile.

"Look at this place! The past two years have been kind to you."

"To the lovely Isabel as well. But you are not the same are you…?"

Ezio shook his head and I took his hand. He looked at me and I put my hand on the side of his face. He nodded and I saw Leonardo smile a bit. I winked and he chuckled.

"We were hoping you could help us with something."

"Anything for you my friend!"

I handed Ezio the codex page and he gave it to Leonardo.

"Aha! You've found another one! How exciting!"

He took it over to the table. I went and looked at some of his new paintings.

Ezio's POV

"Hmm…this one is tricky to break…Clever in its use of ancient languages. Maybe if I just…Oh…Oh! It seems to be a manual of sorts of different assassination techniques."

"May I see it?"

"Wait! What's that?!" he looked closely. "Its not so much a design this time…Just a series of sketches. Hmmmm…what to make of all this…"

I looked over to see Isabel looking at all the paintings. She loved art. She smiled and looked in amazement. Someone tugged on of my sleeve and I looked at Leonardo. He had a strange smile on his face.

"What?"

"Beautiful, as though she stepped out of a painting no? Love is a beautiful thing my friend. Cherish her for all time."

I smiled and put my hand on his shoulder.

"I intend to, my friend. She is my world."

"I am happy for you. Now let take another look at this."

He looked back and I couldn't help but watch her. The way her delicate but deadly hands moved. The way her hair fell over her shoulder. Every now and then she would tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. Her lips were full and red like a rose. Her dark blue eyes always shining.

"Hoho!"

I was drawn back to reality when I heard Leonardo.

"Of course! And why not! What an inspired idea!"

"Can you make it for me- while I try what's in that manual fragment with Isabel?"

"Take it. I'll have my assistant set up some dummies for you to practice with. Eh, Vincenzo!"

"Isabel."

I held out my hand and she took it. She smiled at me and I stroked her cheek. We went out to the courtyard. I looked at the sketches and Isabel climbed up the wall and grabbed a dummy threw it off the wall. I smirked and shook my head.

"I wish I could show you my special talent."

"Hmm, when we get home. I assume you have more to show me?"

I climbed up and grabbed her arm. I pulled her close to me and smiled at her.

"You have no idea." I growled.

She raised her brow and then jumped to another platform. She jumped down on the next dummy stabbing it. I did what she did and we carried on that way until I pulled her into the hay.

"Ezio what are you doing?"

I smiled and kissed her. She slowly relaxed and I pushed my tongue into her mouth. She moaned and ran her hands over my chest. I had to control myself, normally it was easy, but with Isabel it was the most difficult thing to do. When she started to kiss my neck I had to stop her.

"Not here."

"You started it."

I chuckled.

"It's hard for me to control myself with you. You're so beautiful and you're the most precious thing in the world to me."

"Oh Ezio."

She kissed me again before we climbed out. We went back inside and Leonardo looked at us. At first he smiled but then he looked like he was going to laugh.

"You both have hay in your hair."

I cleared my throat and shook it out as did Isabel.

"I've done it! Come quickly! Look!"

I walked forward and he gave me my blade.

"Take it! Try it!"

I put it on and smiled.

"Thank you Leonardo."

"Non c'e di che!" (No problem!)

"There is someone we need to 'see' while I'm here. I cannot approach him publicly…Would you know a way-"

"La Volpe."

Isabel's eyes went wide.

"La Volpe? Of course."

"The fox?"

"Shhh!"

I nodded and looked at Isabel.

"Do you know where to find him?"

She smiled.

"I once was a thief."

Leonardo chuckled and she winked.

"I will take you to him. He probably already suspects you'll be looking for him."

I nodded we said goodbye to Leonardo.

Isabel's POV

I saw Ezio looking for me and I smiled. I whistled and he smiled. He chased me up to the guard tower and I waited for him there. He came up and pulled his hood back. He walked forward, took me in his arms, and pressed his lips mine. I closed my eyes and grabbed his belt.