Machiavelli had given Signor Da Vinci a room just down the hall from hers, between Elletra and Domenico. Her's was next to Domenico's. Apparently, the man was having some hardships wherever it was he had been living and came to stay with the assassins for a while. He hadn't come out of his room much, so Elletra had assigned the recruits to send him up meals when they weren't busy.
Nika stayed outside most of the time, running the streets, remembering what it felt like to be free. Machiavelli allowed her the freedom, usually sending her on missions to watch over the novice's as they gathered information or harassed a Borgia follower. They never knew she was there.
Aria never knew about the two guards that had seen her pickpocket a merchant for an important missive – they found crossbow bolts through their hearts before they could even shout for Aria to halt. Fianna never knew about the guard who had trained his gun on her as she climbed the building after her first sloppy assassination – Nika had came up behind the man and broke his neck before he could get a clear shot. Luigi never knew that the woman he was romancing was a Borgia spy – she turned up dead in the river, drowned, two days later. Luigi sulked for a week, then raged about Borgia murderers. Nika and Machiavelli formed an unspoken agreement. What the boy did not know, did not hurt him. It fueled his hate for the Borgia and gave him a purpose to fight at least. If Nika felt a bit guilty about killing the woman Luigi had grown fond of, she challenged Vincenzo to furious spars that often left her too bruised and tired to think on it.
Raffaele, the most quiet of the new recruits, was the complete opposite of Melchiorre. Where the mercenario was bold, confident and loud, Raffaele was insecure about his skills, about socializing with the other assassins and rarely talked. Despite that, and despite his mediocre skill in swordplay, he was the only novice who had yet to make a mistake that Nika had to quietly fix. Nika was, however, impressed by his ability to steal. And it was this particular skill that had her talking to Machiavelli after the novice had not only successfully stolen a prized sword from a noble family in the city, but had managed to avoid the guards and get back to the Hideout within the hour. She had no idea why he had stolen the sword, but it amused her, so she sought out Machiavelli.
"I want to request a change in novice training. Currently, Fianna is my recruit to train, once I get back on my feet, but I think it would be best if she is trained by Melchiorre, and I train Raffaele." She said, upon finding the man, once more in the art room. Only, Da Vinci was with him as well. She glanced between the men, the grim expressions on their faces and her eyes narrowed. "What happened?" She demanded.
"Nothing, Nika." Machiavelli offered her a small smile, before he said, "I agree with you, however. Let Melchiorre know you are switching novices. If he gives you any trouble, send him to me." He turned his back on her in an obvious dismissal, but her eyes flicked over to Da Vinci, who was worse at hiding behind a mask.
"It is Ezio is it not? What has happened?" she attempted to ask kindly, but the steel in her voice did not vanish entirely. Da Vinci looked back and forth between Nika and Machiavelli, mouth opening and closing in indecision.
"It is none of your business, recruit. I believe there is much you should be doing right now, instead of putting your nose into the affairs of your betters. Unless you need me to send you on a mission. We have plenty of those. Perhaps one to England? But, no. You will get into some form of trouble, that no good La Volpe never taught you humility. He taught you pompousness and arrogance. And that attitude has already endangered the Brotherhood. Perhaps a mission so far away would not be such a good idea after all, with no one to watch after you." Machiavelli began pacing, and his words hit hard, but Nika did not bat an eye. She remained as she was, standing straight, face impassive and kept her eyes focused on the angered man.
"That may be the case, Signore Machiavelli, but there is one thing La Volpe taught me well. How to get information from people. If you do not tell me what has happened to Ezio, I will find out myself." She said steadily, though she wanted to punch the man in the face.
"La Volpe is your mentor? I knew you had mentioned being part of the thieves guild, but I had not thought that La Volpe was your mentor. How is he?" Da Vinci cut in, trying to ease the tense atmosphere between the two, but it did not work.
"I would have no way of knowing. After shoving me off on the assassins, La Volpe only shows up when he pleases. Just like a fox." She smiled angrily without taking her eyes off Machiavelli. Her words about La Volpe were unfair, but she made no move to take them back.
"Ah..." Da Vinci shifted nervously.
"Whatever bad blood is between you and La Volpe, Machiavelli, do not take it out on me. Ezio is my mentor now, and like you, I worry for him. What. Has. Happened?" Nika uttered quietly when Machiavelli made no move to speak. The silence stretched out and the older man kept his back turned on her. Just as she was about to yell at him, there was a loud clatter from the main room and Aria skid around the corner, wild eyed.
"Pardon me, but Master Ezio is back!" If the young woman had anything else to say, Nika did not stick around long enough to hear it. She flew out of the painting room and found Ezio sprawled by the doorway, a chair toppled over next to him. Blood coated his robes, making them more red than white and Nika's heart dropped into her stomach. Nobody moved for the longest moment. Da Vinci and Machiavelli were just as frozen at seeing their leader in such a condition, as the novices were.
Nika finally snapped out of the trance and strode to her mentors side. Up close, she smelt the sweat and the blood, but also the alcohol and sex. She frowned deeply and rolled the man on his back. His groan snapped the others out of it and Machiavelli and Da Vinci were kneeling beside Ezio with her.
"Is he alright?" Elletra demanded, but kept her distance. The question had the three of them running hands over Ezio for any sign of injury.
"It appears that the blood is not his." Da Vinci said at long last, when none of them found any injuries. A collective sigh passed through the room. Nika and Machiavelli got on either side of the drunk assassin and hauled him to his feet, dragging his arms over their shoulders. Between the two of them, they managed to drag Ezio to his room, Da Vinci hurrying ahead of them to open the door and throw back the mans covers.
"Nika, your assignment now is to take care of your mentor. Da Vinci has some medical skill and will help you." Machiavelli said in his no-nonsense voice.
"And you?" She asked as the man turned to leave. He just gave her a look and flew out the door, slamming it closed – a barricade between the three of them and the worried recruits who would not dare enter their mentors room without permission. Nika hissed out an aggravated noise before turning back to the bed.
"Cosa ti è successo, Ezio?" She asked, but the man only looked around the room, not really seeing anything. His hair was matted with sweat and blood, his skin ashen and his lips colorless. His hazel eyes were glazed over.
"Let us see if we can get him a bath, si? Between the two of us, I think we can manage." Da Vinci suggested, and Nika nodded. She went to the door and opened it; sure enough, the other recruits were still outside. She looked to Raffaele and Fianna, ordering them to bring up some warm water so Ezio could bathe. Once that was taken care of, she ushered them out of the room and closed the door once more.
Both she and Da Vinci rolled up their sleeves, Da Vinci taking off his tunic first, before they began undressing their friend. Just as Nika had never been bothered by her own nudity, she was not bothered with another's. She did not hold back a small smile when she caught sight of Da Vinci's blush. The man froze, looking quite frightened, and she shook her head.
"Your secret is safe with me, amico." Then she proceeded to jerk off the last of Ezio's clothes. Again, the two examined Ezio for injuries, but still found none, other than a nasty bruise on his back that looked like Ezio had fallen off a rooftop.
"Come on, old friend. Let us get you cleaned up." Da Vinci said, and even between the two of them, it was difficult to get Ezio into the tub of water. He dragged his feet, refusing to help at all and began muttering in French. Nika did not understand a word of it, but Da Vinci replied every now and then. They finally managed to get the man in the water and Nika was handed a rag.
"You start on his body, I shall get his hair." Da Vinci muttered, not meeting her eyes and she obeyed without hesitation. She scrubbed every inch of Ezio she could reach, not batting an eye when they found Ezio was not lucid enough to clean his own privates. So she set about cleaning those as well. Da Vinci had finished washing Ezio's hair some time ago and was talking to him softly in French, so Nika figured that she was not to know whatever the artist was saying. Every once and a while, Ezio would respond, and once they got the assassin dried off, in a clean shirt and pair of breeches and in bed, Da Vinci said quietly,
"His mother passed away a few days ago. He was with her for some time before she left this world. After, I assume he lost himself in drink and whores."
"And fighting." Nika added and the man nodded.
"He should be physically fine once he sleeps. His head will ache from the drink and the bruising, however."
"Alright. We can take turns looking after him. You can start. I need to make sure that the recruits know about the new arrangements. I am healed enough now to start on Raffaele's training, so long as I take it easy."
"Let me take a look at these injuries you have mentioned. Just in case." Da Vinci requested and Nika pulled up the leg of her breeches, a small feat since they were fitted over her calf. Da Vinci unwrapped the bandage, which Nika was happy to see had no spotted blood or any other fluid on it.
"This is healing well. The stitches may be able to come out in another week or so, but you will still have to be cautious with it. No strenuous activities, such as running or jumping from the rooftops. It will scar though."
"I am not worried about scars." Nika replied and the artist laughed.
"No, I suppose you would not be. It would be strange for a lady in this line of work to be concerned about appearances."
"I am no lady." Nika responded out of habit more than annoyance. Da Vinci offered a smile and rewrapped the healing wound, before pulling down the leg of her breeches. She allowed him to look at the cut on her shoulder and he offered to take the stitching out on that one, claiming it was not needed. So she handed him one of her knives and he went to work. When he tugged the stitches loose from her skin, she could not help but hiss at the sting it brought, but then he was wiping away the spots of blood and covering it with a fresh bandage he unearthed in one of Ezio's cupboards and she was free to leave.
She found Raffaele and the other new recruits in the main room, lounging around and she frowned at the lack of the other recruits. Spotting her, Aria was the first out of her seat and in front of Nika, quickly followed by the others
"Is Signor Ezio going to be alright?" Her eyes were wide, fearing for her new hero.
"Ezio will be fine. He is just drunk." She said without thinking to soften the blow. These recruits will just have to get used to thinking of Ezio as a normal man. "Where are Vincenzo and the others?"
"Machiavelli sent them on a brief mission, they all should be back before morning. There is another gentleman here, however. He arrived some time ago, and went straight upstairs. He's been up there for some time now. Not long after Machiavelli told us to come back downstairs and stay away from Ezio's room." Aria seemed to be the leader of their little group, and although the woman was at least Nika's age, she couldn't help but think she was younger. She acted younger.
"Another gentleman?" Nika inquired, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Why did you not tell me?"
"We did not want to disturb any of you. He walked in as if he has been here before. He talked with us long enough to find out about Grandmaster-"
"You told him about Ezio? You cannot reveal information like that unless you know for sure who-"
"Calmare tesora. The Brotherhood has not been compromised." The voice was so familiar, Nika did not have to turn around to know who it was.
"La Volpe?" She was puzzled. He should not be there. He was supposed to be watching Sebastiano's family. Looking at the man, at the tightness of his lips and the haggard set of his shoulders, she was alarmed. She went to him immediately.
"What is going on, La Volpe? The Trabocchi family?"
"They need to be relocated Nika. The new recruits tell me that Ezio is not doing well. It is understandable after what has happened. They say Machiavelli is out as well. He is as deceptive as they come. I do not suppose you know where he has gone?"
"No. He sent the higher ranked recruits on a mission and left himself, according to them." Nika nodded her head towards the new recruits who were looking between La Volpe and herself. Neither made to introduce the master thief. La Volpe sighed, and nodded.
"Leonardo is here, si?"
"Yes." It was a simple question and she gave a simple answer. No doubt her mentor already knew the details.
"He will have to take care of Ezio. I need you Nika. Would you trust my life with these recruits?" He turned to the recruits he spoke about and began walking about them, studying them.
"No. I would not trust anyone but yourself and I with your life." Nika answered truthfully. Life was not something to play with, she had learned at a young age. La Volpe may play dangerous at times, but he never unnecessarily risked his life. He knew Nika prized his life above her own, and so trusted her to tell him the truth rather than to tell him what he wanted to hear.
"Pick two of them to accompany you. The other two will stay here to guard Leondardo and Ezio."
"What is happening? Who are you?" Fianna pried. They were all unsettled, Nika could see, but La Volpe was in a hurry.
"Rafaelle is only average in the ways of an assassin, but he would make a good thief and he is less careless than the others. Aria is not as observant as she should be, but she is a good fighter. Fianna does not like close range combat and prefers to kill her targets from further away and Luigi often allows his emotions to cloud his judgment but he is good at blending in and gathering information." She was not sure who she should choose. They each had their own strengths and weaknesses and it would depend on the type of task who she would choose. La Volpe, however, remained silent. It was up to her to choose her team.
Rafaelle's skills were similar to her own, so in a general sense it would be pointless to have two people of the same skill set – regardless of the level of skill – on the same team. So, Rafaelle she would leave here. But, because of his average fighting style, she was loathe to leave the Hideout unguarded – of course Ezio would still be here, but she was unsure of how the man would be feeling should someone attack and surely that was what La Volpe was hinting at – so, she would have to leave either Aria or Fianna here. Which meant Luigi would be coming with her.
Nika looked between the two women. Fianna was older than her, and Aria closer to her in age. Surely she got along with Aria better, but the woman was doubtlessly better at fighting and less likely to cause too much trouble with Rafaelle. Fianna needed a stronger personality to keep track of her.
It took her only a few seconds to make her decision.
"Luigi and Fianna will come with me. Rafaelle and Aria will stay here." She told La Volpe, and the mans lips twitched in amusement. He already knew who she would pick.
"Based on your assessment of them, and the information I have gathered myself, I agree with your decision. The three of you prepare for a week long trip. Nika, wear the clothes Ezio gave you."
"Hold on! Who are you to give us orders?" Fianna demanded. She had her arms crossed and was glaring between the two. "You may be higher ranked than us, Nika, but I did not receive any order from Ezio or Machiavelli saying we have to follow your orders."
"Sebastiano is that man who nearly killed you all those weeks ago, is he not? Why are we relocating his family?" Luigi inquired.
"He is. That does not matter now. We are to do what La Volpe tells us." She did not voice her doubts to the others, but La Volpe's behavior was strange. He usually stuck to the plan, and the plan was to wait for Sebastiano to come here to save his family and then to attack. Moving the family meant that something had gone wrong. That Sebastiano was not coming or that there was some greater threat.
"Be quick." La Volpe ordered and headed to the front entrance. Nika gestured for the recruits to do as they were told and made for the stairs herself, but was stopped with a hand on her arm. She turned to find Rafaelle looking at her in confusion, the others gathering closely around to hear what the quiet man had to say.
"Who is he? Can we trust him?"
"He is La Volpe, master thief and leader of the Thieves Guild. He was with us the day you met me. I trust him with my life."
"We should wait until Machiavelli gets back or Ezio gets better. He may be the leader of the Thieves, but not of the Assassins." Fianna stated.
"He is still part of the Brotherhood, though. We should do as he says." Aria reasoned.
"But Machiavelli said that we were to keep the Trabocchi family here, that the thieves would watch them while we watched the city. We are to lure Sebastiano here and then attack!" Fianna insisted. Luigi remained quiet, but he had a frown on his face, indecision present in his eyes.
"Besides, Nika. You are still injured. If any of us are to go, you should remain here." Rafaelle was only concerned for her, Nika knew, but she never liked being pampered. Not when she knew she could handle something.
"Enough. All of you are just wasting time. You have your orders and if you are concerned about what Ezio or Machiavelli has to say, blame it on me. I will gladly take responsibility. My loyalty lies first and foremost with La Volpe, who I know has only what is best for the Brotherhood at heart. I will follow him until death takes me. He has given me no reason not to trust him before."
"He sent you away to the Assassin's Guild." Luigi murmured. "You were becoming a great thief. I heard that you were getting nearly as good as La Volpe himself. Now, he has your friend running a Guild in a different city and your other friend is dead. Were not the three of you supposed to be the best of his thieves? And now you are all conveniently out of his way? What if he has switched sides?"
"You will hold your tongue!" Nika spat, grabbing a hold of his robes with both of her hands and giving him a shake. He merely looked at her with pity. The others said nothing. After a moment of silence, Nika scoffed and released her hold on Luigi before storming back up the stairs and into her room. She pulled on her robes over the breeches and shirt she already had on. She found her cleanest pair of stockings and pulled them on, quickly follow by the boots. Her belts and weapons were fastened and arranged to her liking and she stormed out of her room and towards Ezio's.
When she first came to the headquarters at Isola Tiberina, she did not trust Ezio. She loathed him because she saw him as the man that agreed to have her taken from her home – the Guild. However, over the months she had been under the Grandmaster's employment, she learned that the man would never lie to his friends or family. Perhaps he twisted the truth in order to protect those he loved, but she had not heard one outright lie from his scarred lips. Ezio, too, was similar to Nika – as La Volpe had once pointed out – and that gave the young assassin a new perspective to look from.
When Ezio was seventeen, his brothers and father were murdered. He was forced to be the man of the family and get his mother and sister to safety before he could get revenge on those who had ripped the family apart. Nika had been young when she lost her mother, and near Ezio's own age when she had lost her own father. Where Ezio had found a family with the Brotherhood, she had found a family with the thieves. In this way, she knew that Ezio would always protect the Brotherhood, just as she would protect any thief that she ran across.
In this way, she knew that Ezio was the only person who would give her the answers she required.
It pained her to doubt her mentor, the man that had saved her life in more than one way and more than once. But, she could not ignore what the other recruits had said. La Volpe had trained her well, and when her gut told her something was wrong, she had no choice but to listen to it. With this in mind, she quietly entered Ezio's room not even an hour after having left it.
"Bella donna. I thought you were going to train your friend?" Da Vinci's blue eyes were puzzled but Nika only spared him a glance before approaching Ezio's bed. She sat down on the side of it and lay her hand on his cheek. It was warm to the touch, but he had no fever as far as she could tell. He looked peaceful though. He never looked this way when he was awake – he was always alert and his eyes held a certain fire in them that one could not overlook. Asleep, however, her friend – for he had become her friend at some point – looked his age; beyond the peaceful expression were the years of hardship and suffering. The years of bloody violence and death, of trying to keep a hidden organization running and safe, of trying to do more than one man would normally be capable of. It was the fire in his eyes that held his youth, that playful, arrogant young man Nika had heard stories of, the man that chased after beautiful young women and was quick to fight his enemies. It was not until that moment – as she was deciding whether she should wake the man up and express her fears to him or not, deciding whether she should burden a man already burdened with his own troubles or not – that she realized her own fondness for him. Realized the respect she held for him for remaining vigilant through everything.
She had just begun to pull her hand back, deciding her doubts could wait, when Ezio's eyes flew open. Hazel eyes locked onto hers and his hand came up to grasp her throat.
"Ezio!" Da Vinci exclaimed and hovered just to the side of the two of them, but Nika could see the momentary confusion beginning to wane even as his hand loosened its hold on her. She remained still as he gave her a quick look over.
"Why are you wearing that?" Ezio asked. His voice was a bit raspy, but he did not ask for any water. He took his hand off her neck, though.
"I cannot stay long, but I need to clarify something." She had tried to keep her voice level, but Ezio had to have found some sense of urgency in her, because he struggled to sit up. She put a calming hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.
"La Volpe is here. He arrived while Leonardo and I were tending to you." She noticed his eyes dart about the room before landing on Leonardo. A strange expression glanced across his face, and she thought that he was probably remembering everything that had happened to him the last few hours. "Ezio, Machiavelli has disappeared off on some business or another without telling anyone where he was going. He sent Domenico, Elletra, Vincenzo and Melchiorre on some mission that the new recruits are saying they will be back from by morning. And now La Volpe has showed up and told me to pick two of the recruits to take with me, that we are supposed to relocate the Trabocchi family elsewhere, as if there is some danger."
"I thought you would do whatever La Volpe asked of you. I do not see what needs to be clarified." Ezio retorted, but Nika could see the news of the Trabocchi family was new to him.
"Luigi said something that, as much as it pains me, I cannot ignore." She and Ezio stared at one another for a while before Ezio gave her a subtle nod – accepting that even she could doubt one she had previously followed blindly – and Nika continued after taking a deep breath to calm herself.
"He thinks that La Volpe may have betrayed us. That Lukah, Raffaello and I were becoming too good as thieves. He implied that La Volpe had Raffaello killed, Lukah moved to the position of Guild leader in Venezia, and me put under your care so that we were out of his way. So that we would not reveal him. I do not want this to be true, Ezio, but I...I..feel like something is going wrong. I do not know if La Volpe's plan is just ill timed or if what Luigi says is true. But La Volpe is talking about moving the family, which can lure too many enemies. The Borgia's, assassins, Sebastiano...even other interested parties, and he only has me and two new recruits on the assignment. He mentioned nothing about the thieves." Nika stopped talking, feeling like she was just repeating herself. Ezio remained silent, before sitting up again, pushing away Nika's hands when she made to push him back down once more.
"I do not think La Volpe has betrayed us, Nika. In that you may be rest assured. But I would speak with La Volpe. I do not like the sound of his plans any more than you do."
"Mio amico, you need to rest. We can have La Volpe come up here." Da Vinci said, but Ezio was already pulling back the blankets and beginning to stand. Nika stood and moved out of his way. She could see the drink still ran strong in his system and that he was sore and exhausted, but the Brotherhood was important to him. When he stumbled, she grabbed his arm and pulled it over her shoulder. He tensed a moment, as if about to reject her help, but relaxed as much as Ezio could and headed to the door.
It was a lot quicker getting Ezio down the stairs than it was getting him up them. Nika had to admit that the recruits' reactions were quite funny. Seeing their idol in naught but plain breeches and a shirt, barefoot with his hair loose about his shoulders must have been a sight to them. Nika had only ever seen Ezio as a man – perhaps that had something to do with meeting him the way she had.
"La Volpe. I wish to speak with you." Ezio called, and although Nika had not seen her mentor, he appeared from the direction that Ezio had been looking. She glanced up at Ezio in time to see his eyes fade from a golden color back to their normal color. Strange it may have been, but Ezio was always full of surprises. Letting go of him when he pulled away, Nika stepped back to stand just behind and slightly to the left of Ezio. Although Nika could not see beneath the hood, she knew he was giving Nika a curious look. It was in the set of his lips and the angle of his head.
"Of course. But we should make it quick. Nika has wasted enough time." The words did as they were meant to do, lancing into Nika's heart and upsetting her. She clenched her teeth tightly, balled her fists and jutted out her chin, but La Volpe paid her no more attention after that. The two men disappeared into the next room.
"You should not have disturbed Ezio." Aria whispered. Nika ignored her and none of the other recruits spoke. Da Vinci came to stand beside her however, and although he did not speak, the hand the squeezed her shoulder relayed some comfort to her. Their conversation was brief and to the point, apparently, because the two strode back into the room not long after they left.
"Nika, you will take Luigi and Fianna to the gates of the city where you will meet up with ten of Bartolomeo's men. La Volpe and I are going to escort the Trabocchi family to you, and from there we will all travel outside of the city. Leondardo, you will stay here with Rafaelle and Aria. None of you are to leave headquarters at all until our return. Is that understood?" A chorus of agreements followed Ezio's words and the man made his way upstairs to don his robes.
"Would you have just listened to me, Nika." La Volpe said, and there was some heat to his words.
"Would you have not been acting so suspicious lately, papá." Nika retorted.
"He's your dad?" Luigi exclaimed and the others looked between the two in surprise. La Volpe sighed once more and turned to leave. If Nika had not known him all these years, she would not have noticed the slight slouch in his shoulders. Guilt trampled her like an angry mountain horse.
"Do not feel bad, cucciola. You were right to come to me." Ezio's fingers brushed her wrist as he walked by and, after a moment, she followed him and the other two recruits out the door. They all split as soon as they left the hideout. Nika, Luigi and Fianna acquired horses and traveled to the gates of the city where Bartolomeo's men waited for them on their own horses. Nika thought it looked a bit suspicious, so many people gathered together on horseback, but one of the mercenaries came forward and handed armbands to the three assassin recruits. They bore the mark of a band of mercenaries to the north and Nika thought she could guess their cover. Hired hands escorting a rich family.
They did not have to wait long, but as they did, Luigi came up beside Nika.
"I wanted to apologize for my words earlier. They were rash, and I should not have spoken them. If I had known he was your father, I would not have-"
"Calmare Luigi. Even though you were wrong, thinking that La Volpe has betrayed us, it was not wrong of you to voice your opinion. We are not a Brotherhood of repression. And Ezio was glad that I informed him of La Volpe's arrival. He did not know about any of this." She did not explain to him her true relationship to La Volpe, but Fianna came closer to speak herself.
"Which is strange, is it not? He is our leader, but he does not know what is going on within his own Order?"
"There is something you and the other recruits need to understand, Fianna. Ezio is just a man. He is not God. He bleeds and tires just like the rest of us. He needs personal time, just like the rest of us. La Volpe may have the ability to be in many places at once, but Ezio does not. He saved you and the other recruits when you joined. You recognized the strength in him and it is that strength you must believe in. But, Ezio cannot fight this war on his own. He needs us to trust him." Nika held Fianna's gaze, and the older woman turned away first.
"I will follow Ezio to hell and back." Luigi stated proudly, and Nika could not help the grim smile that crossed her face.
"We may have to, Luigi. We may have to." It was not long after that when a horse led carriage pulled up, black curtains covering the window. La Volpe and another man sat on the bench, and Ezio followed behind on a horse of his own. The mercenaries fell into place: two took the lead, and four lined up on either side of the carriage. Nika gestured for Fianna to take her place on the right and Luigi to stay to the left before joining Ezio to take up the rear. She waited until they were clear of the city gates before asking one question that still bothered her.
"Ezio. Why are we moving the Trabocchi family?"
"Sebastiano is on his way to the city."
"Should we not keep the family there, then? I thought the plan was to lure him into a trap."
"We are Nika. Outside of the city, in order to keep the innocent safe."
"Then why are you and La Volpe so grim? I thought this would be a good thing. To kill Sebastiano would eliminate a large threat to the Brotherhood. It may even wound Cesare himself. Surely with La Volpe's tricks and your skill in battle, it would be easy to kill him." Nika's words caused Ezio to smile slightly.
"While your words are endearing, cucciola, there are some major points you are missing."
"Then enlighten me."
"You can never know for sure what is going to happen during a mission. There are too many things that can go wrong and change the outcome. It is also foolish to rely entirely on my skill and La Volpe's tricks."
"Perhaps you are right."
"Of course I am right." They shared a short laugh, but Nika noticed Ezio hesitate to say something.
"What is it?"
"Sebastiano travels with fifty armed men." Ezio stated it as if he was just relaying information on a normal day, but his words made Nika's blood run cold.
"But...Ezio. There are only sixteen of us, assuming the man with La Volpe can fight."
"I know." He stated calmly. How could he be calm in a situation like this? They were heading into battle with a man who was backed by more than three times as many men than they had. Not only were they supposed to protect Sebastiano's family – they were innocent after all – but they had to make sure Sebastiano did not escape with them either. They either had to capture or kill Sebastiano, who would be a match for Ezio on one of his better days, completely disregarding Ezio's recent drinking binge and bruises.
"A good leader knows how to keep their fears hidden from those that follow them, Nika. Do not wear your emotions so plainly on your face. If the new recruits saw that you were fearful, or that I was fearful, that same fear would be instilled in them and they would waver in the face of battle."
"They are new recruits!" She hissed. "They are not ready for something like this. Maybe if we had Vincenzo and the others with us, it would be a different story. I cannot fight and make sure that they are kept alive. It-"
"That is not your job, Nika. Their lives are not yours to worry about. If one fights near you and you see they need help, then help them if you can. But do not go out of your way to save them."
"But-" Nika started, and Ezio reached over to grab the hand that held onto her horses reigns. The horse snorted in irritation, stopping abruptly. Ezio leaned closer to her, even though his eyes never left their small procession.
"Sometimes we have to make sacrifices. The Assassin's are not like the Thieves. We risk our lives for the safety of others. We die to ensure that others can live, even while we end lives. You have to come to terms with the fact that you will have to watch your friends and family die, cucciola, without being able to do anything about it." His words were desolate and the younger assassin did not like this. She grabbed his stubbled chin in the hand he did not have a hold of and forced him to look at her.
"Just because that is what happened to you, Ezio Auditore, does not mean that I have to sit idly by and watch those I care about die. If the other recruits, or you, or La Volpe were in danger I would try my damnedest to help you. I would not merely give up your lives because it inconvenienced me or because I was scared of what might happen. I get it. You were seventeen at the time and the people that killed your family had more power than you. There was nothing you could do then, and I get that. I watched my own father die. I was the reason my mother died. I do not linger over that. It hurts, I know, but it is in the past Ezio. We cannot change the past. Only the future." He looked like he may be angry at first, but the fire in his eyes changed, softened into a warm glow rather than a blazing inferno. He released her hand at the reign and instead gently pulled her hand from his chin. He paused a moment before bending over it and placing a light kiss across her knuckles, the way a man had not done to her since she had lived with her father. A light blush warmed her cheeks and Ezio chuckled, a rich sound that originated deep in his chest. She pulled her hand away a bit too quickly and nudged her horse forward, but Ezio's chuckle followed her. She hid her blush by flipping her hood up and ignored any curious glances shot her way. A few moments later found Ezio at her side again, and she tilted her head toward him when he spoke, but did not look at him. Afraid that the blush would come back, she berated herself for acting like a swooning girl.
"I was wrong to despair, that much is true. But we have to be careful. Sebastiano's men will be well trained. Our priority is to assassinate him, but if you have an opportunity to save someone without compromising the mission, you have my permission to do so. We do have to look after one another, after all, if the Brotherhood is to exist through generations to come."
"Grazie." She said the words so quietly, she was not sure he had heard them, but he patted her lightly on the knee in acknowledgment. No more words were passed between them that day.