Chapter Ten
Disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's Creed.
A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, they made me smile. I apologize for the last chapter, it was slightly rushed at the end and the French came out a little mingled. The translations will be fixed in future chapters, not to worry. Sleep and years of repressed French aren't a good combination. Once again, all translations and historical notes will be at the end of this chapter, thank you.
Acre wasn't what I expected. I mean, yeah, it's Acre but it just wasn't what I saw in the game. High in the air, circling the city where dozens and dozens of birds; to my guess, vultures and seagulls. Already, the smell of dead fish and salt water hit me hard. "What a stench, ugh." I waved a hand in front of my face to clear the air, but it seemed like I was only making it worse. Sighing, I gave up in hopes that I wouldn't be in the city for too long.
Passing under several stone arches, we finally got to the gates of Acre, surrounded by stalls of those selling their produce, many of them selling the same thing, claiming that their prices were lower. The thought of them trying to outdo the other by continually lowering the prices to eventually everything was free danced in my head, it would almost seem true with this men. Altair ignored them, his horse going to where other horses were, tied up on poles or in stalls, happily munching on feed. There were already people attending to the horses, one of which was a woman. This took me by surprise but then again, things aren't always what they appear. Dismounting from the stallion, I pet the gentle giant's head, thanking him for bearing me through the trip. He can at least rest now and hopefully, thing will go smoothly in Acre.
The feel of the whole place was very familiar. The English language, even though it was heavily accented, felt like I was home again. As much as it felt good to be in a familiar situation, it just brought the pain of being separated from my family that much worse. Still, following Altair in the city, I knew that the heartache would grow even more. I could only hope that the pain would at least subside with every step I took.
Acre was…very…medieval. Very high stone walls, high stone towers with witch cap roofs, and everything was gray, like really gray, it dyed everything. Gray fish, gray clothes, gray skies, gray everything and everywhere. Even the vegetables that were being sold were gray. The only colors was Altair's sash and maybe a few browns here and there, like carts, some stalls and, of course, the feces that littered the corners of buildings, sides of roads, under people's feet, getting squished and disgusting. I was very thankful that my gag reflex was good in the waste area otherwise, I'd be miserable until something clean was presented.
Altair didn't say anything as we were walking, he just kept his jaw clenched, his hands in fists, in a very serious mood and manner. At first, I didn't understand why he was so silent, that is, until an obvious thought passed through my head: if he speaks English, if he ever speaks it, it might be accented. Maybe this is why he never really spoke in the game unless he was in a conversation with someone. I barely had time to properly think about this when a woman comes running up to us, her hands out.
"Please sir, have any money?" she asked in a very cockney accent, her face covered in pox scars, dirt and some scratches, as if she's suffering from an allergic reaction. "I'm poor and starving." Altair didn't say anything, I'm pretty sure he didn't even make eye contact as he sidestepped the woman, continuing on his way. "No, you don't understand, I have nothing," she said now, the tone of her voice getting very upset. I rolled my eyes, keeping an eye on her. "Just a little bit of money, please!" she's now screeching.
Altair looks at me, his head nodded to one direction, telling me to go on ahead, but of course, the woman was now back in front of us. "Please, my family is sick and dying," she tried again, her tone gentle, trying to be pitiful and pathetic to get sympathy and coin. By this point, I was ticked off. Forget what the assassin was thinking, I wanted the woman gone. "Just a few coins, that's all I ask!"
My temper snapped but after getting my shoulder bumped into by the assassin, I bit my tongue, hard. Everyone's family was sick and dying; there was nothing special about her family if everyone was suffering from the same thing. Plague covered the land, disease was rampant, foods were rotten or of bad quality and with the war going on between Richard I and Saladin, hardly anyone had any money for themselves to get by in life, much less give it to others in need.
We tried to ignore the woman and continue on our way, until she threw a rock at Altair, hitting him in the back. Crying out, he turned his head but the woman was already running away, probably to bother someone else. I rolled my eyes before looking at him. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he said quickly, his voice low, almost like he didn't want to speak in a strange place. Was he scared? Guards were patrolling the area all around, I'm pretty sure one Arabic word is spoken out loud and they'd grab the first chance that they can get, they'd pounce on someone and kill them. Barbaric if you ask me, it's profiling. Still, I kept a close eye on the assassin, even though I was pretty sure all he'd get would be a bruise, well, no, not even that, I don't think.
"Why didn't you stop her or something?" I asked him in English, my voice lowered to a whisper as I move closer to him.
Altair looked at me from the corner of his eye. "We do not harm the innocent," he said just as low, sending chills up my spine as butterflies fluttered in my stomach. He didn't have an accent, it was almost as if he was speaking to me in Arabic, it was still the same voice, just as sexy, just as amazing. My inner fangirl had melted into a pile of goo, begging for more, for darkness to seep in his words, for him to growl in a husky tone. "It's one of our tenants."
I tried to compose the blush from my face and smirked. "Well, maybe you can't, but I can. Unlike you, I'm not in the killing business, though with desperate women, I may make an exception." He snorted, his eyes ducking under his hood, the corners of his mouth twitching.
Over the noise of crowds, of beggars, drunkards, and the occasional herald, I heard moans, moans that froze my blood as childhood fears flooded my head. In alleys, I saw half starved men walking around, bones visible, even from as far away as I was. I moved even closer to Altair, my heart pounding. "They were tortured by Garnier de Naplouse," Altair said, seeing the men as well. Though he pronounced Garnier's name wrong, I couldn't help but think about what the mad doctor had done. Lobotomized, tested on, mistreated, underfed, probably killed on purpose, and now, his patients are running free in Acre, a constant reminder of what he had done.
The cruelties of men never cease to disgust me. We reached a building, stone and gray like many of those around it, but when Altair stopped at a ladder, I realized where we were: another assassin bureau. Climbing the ladder wordlessly, I kept an ear out for any guards who might walk by, but thankfully, no one walked by to ask questions. "It's more socially acceptable to climb ladders than wall, as the guards would not be suspicious," I quoted under my breath, rolling my eyes.
Altair was already waiting for me at the grate but as he jumped down, I gripped the edge of the ivied grate and dropped to the stone floor. The wood bit at my palms, scraping the skin as I let go but thankfully, no splinters entered my skin, though Altair did raise an eyebrow at me. From inside the bureau, we could hear whistling from the rafik inside. "Stay near the door," Altair told me, his tone serious as his eyes looked at mine, the gold orbs hard, telling me to obey. I nodded and did as asked as he walked inside the bureau. Inside, the rafik, an older man with a white beard, his hood raised on his head, was turned, facing his many books. This didn't really surprise me because Malik's bureau had books as well, but as I looked around the bureau from my angle, it was obvious that he had more. "Rafik."
"Word has spread of your deeds, Altair. It seems you are sincere in your desire to redeem yourself," the rafik answered in a bored tone, his eyes and hands busy to find something on his book shelf.
"I do what I can," Altair answered, his voice soft but the hushed tone still sent chills up my back. My inner fangirl was swooning over his voice, even though I was getting a good look of his back. I mentally slapped myself as my thoughts when to his backside, even though it was covered in many layers of fabric. I need to stop thinking like this, he's not mine.
The rafik turned his head; his eyes spotted me as a frown appeared on his face. Already, I'm disliked. "And sometimes you do it well. I assume it is work that reunites us?" he asked, as if that wasn't obvious enough, though his tone was still of a bored one.
"Yes. William of Montferrat is my target." I smiled at his mispronunciation as he rolled the R the wrong way, my inner fangirl giggling in a corner somewhere in my mind. "What can you tell me of him?" This surprised me because he said this in a light tone, respect filling his voice.
The rafik turns to a book on his counter, though there are several books open, it's obvious he's looking for something. His hand hovered over the pages of one of the many books as he answered Altair. "William has been named regent while the king conducts his war. The people see it as a strange choice given the history between Richard and William's son, Conrad." He then smiled and looked up at Altair. "But I think Richard rather clever for it." There is obvious admiration in his voice, almost a smirk in his words.
"Clever how?"
"Richard and Conrad do not see eye to eye on most matters. Though they are civil in public, there are whispers that each intends evil upon the other." I rolled my eyes. The history was obvious; Conrad was a spoiled child who never knew the sting of a belt so of course he'd challenge authority. "And then there was that business with Acre's captured Saracens. In its way, Conrad has returned to Tyre and Richard has compelled William to remain here as his guest."
Altair's hands curled into fists. "You mean his hostage." There was darkness in his voice again; probably upset at the way a son would treat his father.
The rafik only waved his hand at Altair's words, his eyes closed and head turned away. "Whatever you wish to call it," he said, leaning on the counter, elbows on the pages of the book before him, hands draped close to his chest. "William's presence here should dissuade Conrad from acting out."
"I've never been one for politics," said the assassin, his head turned away. I smiled at that though the logical side of me kicked in, screaming that politics is a very serious thing.
"But surely you realize your every action shapes the course of this land's future. You are a politician too, in your own way," he sneered with a sly grin on his face. Oh snap, he's got a point.
Altair snapped back. "As you wish. Now where do you suggest I begin my search?"
The rafik grew serious, sensing the air and stood up straight. "Richard's citadel southwest of here," he began, waving a hand in the air above his head. "Or rather, the merchant in front of it. You'll find the cathedral of the Holy Cross in that direction as well." My inner fangirl screamed, remembering the tallest viewpoint in the city of Acre. Of course, I wanted to see it but my inner fangirl screams that climbing would be fun, until my logical side reminded the fangirl how high up the cross is and if something should go wrong, game over. "It is a popular place and should be filled with talkative citizens," the rafik said in a disgusted tone. No shit, church people talk! "Finally, try the boarder to the west where the Chain and Hospital districts meet. That should start you on your journey." He then turns the other way, back to the bookshelf, an obvious disgust on his face, probably caused by my presence.
"Very well, I won't disturb you further," Altair said, his head nodding from respect before he turned to walk away.
"It was no trouble at all," the rafik said, finding a book and opening it, his eyes scanning the page. As Altair is leaving the bureau, ready to leave to gather information on William, the rafik cleared his throat. "While I have no trouble giving you the needed information to gain knowledge of your target, I'll not have a woman in my bureau. Take her with you."
My breath hitched but Altair just nodded, not questioning the rafik's authority, merely following orders. Following Altair, I could see that the rafik was watching us carefully, making sure that the assassin followed orders and that I would no longer be a problem. I rolled my eyes away from the rafik, disgusted by him as much as he was with me. The man can have his bureau! Sexist…
Still, as Altair pulled me up the wall of the bureau, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of self-consciousness as I stood on the bureau's roof, looking down through the grating to see the pillows of the courtyard. "Altair?" He grunted. Whatever was on my mind suddenly went blank, forgetting whatever it was. "Never mind."
I don't know what I was thinking but I walked away from Altair, I didn't even look back as I took the ladder down, walking away from the bureau, away from the assassin, away to just go and do something. Maybe it'll do me good to step away from a world I know so much and yet so little about. Perhaps I can learn so much from this timeline just by people-watching. "Elisheba," I heard. Looking up the ladder, I saw Altair looking down at me before he crouched, turning his head to look around, keeping an eye out.
"What is it?" I whispered up at him, climbing a few rungs to better hear. "What do you want?"
He looked at me dead in the eye. "Make my mission shorter," he said, very serious.
I shook my head. "I'm not a soothsayer, I cannot give you information that I myself don't know about." He didn't move at all, not even to blink. I sighed and looked away. "I know so much, yes, but not about your mission. Besides, I told you that I wouldn't aid nor hinder your missions back in Masyaf, remember?"
Still, there was no answer from the assassin above me so I sighed. "I'll eavesdrop on many of the guards, but that's it. I'll not help you after this." He nodded, stood and turned away, the prick. I shouldn't be helping him, it's not right, he's supposed to do this on his own, without help. I shouldn't even be here! Yet, no matter how logical it all sounds, I can't help but do as he's asked. I don't know where to go, what to do, I don't even know where to begin. Hopping off the ladder, I sighed and began to walk around the unfamiliar street of Acre.