Just a note: The time lapses in Ezio's story and Ophelia's story will NOT be the same from chapter to chapter.

Ophelia woke up the next day feeling more refreshed than she had in a long time. Her day of travel wore her out, but her time with Leonardo the night before was enjoyable and her bath was relaxing. The bed Leonardo had for her had been much more comfortable than the bed at Monteriggioni, which was quite a statement considering the furniture at the villa was expensive and well made.

After dressing herself in her white robes and armor, Ophelia walked out into the main living area. She could hear Leonardo speaking to himself from the hallway. Ophelia recognized that Leonardo was working on something. He often talked to himself when he was deep in thought. She quietly and cautiously approached the living area but lit up when she saw that Leonardo was painting by the window.

"Good morning, Ophelia! It is a beautiful morning! How did you sleep?" Leonardo asked enthusiastically, removing his brush from his painting to greet Ophelia.

"Good morning Leonardo! I slept very well! You are in a good mood this morning!" Ophelia replied with a smile.

"Well, I've been inspired! I went out to the market early this morning to get the first pick on meat and grapes. In the distance, I saw the sun rising over a hill. It was beautiful!" What Leonardo didn't tell Ophelia was that his inspiration actually came from seeing her naked the night before. But that would be his little secret. He painted two hills, but Leonardo knew what they really were.

Ophelia smiled at the artist's enthusiasm. She was amazed at the different things that would bring him inspiration. Leonardo managed to see the beauty in the smallest things. "Well, let me see what you have!" Ophelia said, moving to stand next to Leonardo. On the canvas, she saw the Tuscan landscape. Two hills took up most of the painting. A sun was setting behind them. Leonardo managed to blend the colors in the most beautiful of ways. "Bravo!"

Leonardo smiled, in part from being complimented and the other part in keeping from giggling like a girl. Ophelia had no idea what exactly she was complimenting. "Grazie! I've put out some bread, meat, and cheeses on the table for you for breakfast, if you'd like to help yourself," Leonardo motioned over to the eating table. Ophelia smiled at the artist and sat down. She ripped off a small piece of bread. "So, Leonardo, I am trying to locate a man for my mission. Supposedly he knows the most of the city. His name is La Volpe, or 'the fox.' Do you know-" Ophelia was cut off when she heard Leonardo drop his paintbrush and palette. He loudly shushed her before walked over to the table. He quickly sat down and held a finger up to his lips.

"You must be more quiet, Ophelia. Yes, I know him. You must not talk loudly about him," Leonardo warned, leaning in to whisper to Ophelia.

Ophelia's eyes went wide. She had no idea that La Volpe was such a secretive man. "Well, where do you believe foxes dwell?" Ophelia asked, being careful not to mention names specifically.

Leonardo thought for a moment. "By the market. He should be there by mid-day, when the crowds are the heaviest."

Ophelia smiled and reached a hand out to touch Leonardo's. "Grazie. You're always such a help," Ophelia told him sweetly before biting into her bread.

Leonardo couldn't help but smile at Ophelia's touch before standing up from the table. He moved to pick up his paintbrush and palette. Quickly, he resumed his work.

"Also, Leonardo, I have some more codex pages for you. When I get back today, could you show me how you decode them? I'd like to learn," Ophelia asked before taking a piece of cheese.

Leonardo laughed quietly behind his canvas. He didn't want to be rude, but deciphering the codex pages was not an easy feat, even for him, and he was one of the few people who possessed the knowledge to decode them. "Si, maddona," Leonardo agreed. He knew that the task would be difficult for Ophelia, but he agreed anyhow. Anything she wanted, he would do his best to provide her. Also, if she did begin to understand the language of the codex, she'd be a very valuable asset to the assassins. If something were to happen to Leonardo, she would be the one to take over deciphering the codex. "When will you be leaving today?"

Ophelia looked out the window. The sun was almost all the way up. She had slept longer than what she thought. "Soon. It's almost mid-day and I need to go hunt," Ophelia told Leonardo, giving him a small wink for her slyness in words.

Leonardo rolled his eyes when she winked but was happy that she was being carefully. Then again, he knew she would be from now on. When assassins are told to keep quiet about something, they keep very quiet. "That is probably best. When should I expect you back for dinner?" Leonardo asked.

Ophelia thought for a moment. She had no idea how long it would take to find La Volpe and to speak with him. The secretive man could end up being a chatter box and she didn't want to Leonardo by being gone longer than what she would tell him. She knew Leonardo was quick to worry. "As soon as the sun fully sets," Ophelia answered. That would give her plenty of time to get the information she needed from La Volpe.

Leonardo nodded and continued to paint. "Then dinner will be ready when you get back!"

Ophelia stood up from the table and wiped off the bread crumbs from her robes. "Goodbye, Leonardo. I will see you later!" Ophelia waved the artist goodbye with a smile and left the workshop.

To Ophelia's pleasure, Leonardo's workshop was only a few streets away from the market. The location made sense; he was always needing supplies for his studies. She was sure she would see him out during the day. Ophelia looked around the market, making sure to stay blended in with the crowds. Despite not having been in Florence for quite some time, she knew that the Templars were here and she knew that they knew who she was.

Ophelia honestly had no clue who she was looking for or what La Volpe looked like. She knew that he, too, was an assassin, so she at least expected hooded robes. She watched the tops of the crowds for a hood of any sort. She found one, but it belonged to a woman wearing a long dress and holding a baby.

Ophelia made her way over to the fish stall and peered over the top. As she stood there, she felt a tug at her belt. Someone had taken her coin pouch. Ophelia turned and spotted a thief holding up the pouch. "Looking for this, carina donna?" the thief taunted, swaying the pouch back and forth in his hand.

Ophelia glared at the thief and immediately bolted after him. The thief made his way up a stack of crates resting on the side of a building. He then made his way to the rooftops. Unfortunately for the thief, Ophelia was a very fast free runner, even fast than Ezio. Her light weight was her advantage when she needed to be dexterous and nimble while running from structure to structure. Ezio, though lean, was very muscular; the extra mass weighed him down.

She quickly caught up to the thief but her smile of satisfaction disappeared when she saw a hooded man standing before her.

"Ophelia, so glad you could make it," the man said from under his hood.

Ophelia didn't know who this man was and rose an eyebrow. How did he know her name? Even if it was La Volpe, how could he possibly have known she was looking for him? "Who are you?" Ophelia questioned cautiously.

"You know me by the fox, but you may call me La Volpe, at your service, madonna," the man introduced himself, reaching out for Ophelia's hand. He kissed the back gently before Ophelia pulled her hand away. Something about this man didn't sit well with her. He had an evil sneer planted on his face. Yet, she knew his was an assassin and trusted he would do her no wrong.

"Si, it is nice to finally meet you, La Volpe," Ophelia replied with a cautious nod. "I was told to come to you for information about Francesco de Pazzi… but how did you know I was coming?"

La Volpe laughed with that evil sneer of his. "Well, you don't exactly hide well in a crowd, Ophelia. I was told that a very beautiful, young assassin would be coming to see me soon and that this assassin would be staying with Leonardo da Vinci. Of course, since you are not from Florence, you would surely ask Leonardo where I could be found. And, knowing Leonardo and his… endeavors, he'd point you to the market. So, I've been at the market for a few days now seeking you. And, since you are the only beautiful young woman wearing white and red, I figured it was a safe bet to lead you up here to speak," La Volpe told Ophelia almost condescendingly.

"I suppose I should work on my blending then…" Ophelia replied with a small laugh.

La Volpe gave a quick nod before his face straightened again. "But we are here to talk about de Pazzi… there has been word on the street that a caravan just arrive from Roma. Some thieves that were around the caravan overheard the Templars talking about a secret meeting tonight… You'll learn more about Francesco's whereabouts there."

Ophelia nodded, folding her arms as she did when she was deep in thought. "And where will this meeting be held?" Ophelia asked.

La Volpe chuckled with a nod. "Si, I'll show you the way. Let's go," La Volpe replied before immediately taking off along the rooftops.

Ophelia followed after him. La Volpe was much faster than Ezio but not as fast as she was. She did well to keep up with the man. They arrived at a rooftop across from the church minutes later.

"You did well to keep up!" La Volpe told Ophelia, impressed by her swiftness.

Ophelia shrugged. "I've practiced quite a bit. I got familiar with these rooftops when I was looking over the Auditores and tracking de Pazzi months ago," Ophelia explain.

La Volpe sneered, knowing that her mission had been unsuccessful. Ophelia heard this sneer and kept to herself. Her failure would always be heavy on her mind. She knew that she did all that she could to save Giovanni, Frederico, and Petruccio, but guilt still swarmed her mind.

La Volpe moved to point over to a small inlet on the side of the church. "That will be your entrance into the church."

Ophelia rose an eyebrow. The inlet consisted of a small fountain. "What do you mean?"

"This fountain leads to the Santa Maria Novella catacombs underneath the city. Follow them and you'll reach a place where you can eavesdrop on the meeting," La Volpe explained.

Catacombs? Ophelia never knew catacombs existed underneath Florence. "How do I use this fountain? I cannot go down the drain!"

"Grip the stone handle, turn it, and then pull it down. You will see…" La Volpe replied, using his hand to mimic the motions she would need to do.

"Grazie, Volpe, for all of your help," Ophelia thanked, though she still felt uneasy about the man. She had to admit, though, that without his help, she would never have the critical information that she needed.

"Buona fortuna," La Volpe put a hand on Ophelia's shoulder, giving it a small pat, before running off on the rooftops. Ophelia didn't bother to watch him leave. She needed to get down into those catacombs and listen in on the meeting.

Quickly and quietly, Ophelia made her way down to the fountain. There, she saw a skull on the back of the wall. This must have been the handle La Volpe was talking about. She remembered the movements he made with his hand and repeated them with the skull. She put two fingers in both eye sockets, pulled the skull out and then pulled down. She then suddenly felt the floor underneath her give way and she was soon falling down into the catacombs.

She managed to grab onto a ladder that was placed in the hole. She took a deep breath, her heart pounding. "Thanks for the warning…" Ophelia muttered, moving down the ladder.

Her feet finally hit a dirt floor. The catacombs were dark and the only light she saw was from a torch hanging on the wall in front of her. She made the conscious decision not to take it; if any Templars were travelling through these catacombs, she would be seen and they would definitely have the upper-hand in that fight. Ahead, Ophelia saw a large rock wall. She couldn't scale it and even if she did, the rock went to the ceiling; she wouldn't be able to get over it. She looked around, trying to locate another point to move through. On the wall across from her was a lever. She pulled it down and watched as the rocks moved their places, allowing her entry to the next section of catacombs.

Ophelia moved down the next hallway, cautious and alert. She would take any noise as a means for investigation. She didn't want to chance running into any Templars. She arrived shortly at a ledge. Below was a collapsed stairwell. The next point she needed to reach was above and on the other side of the stairwell. Wooden poled stuck out from the walls, probably frames of the once existing stairwell. She swiftly moved across them and arrived at her checkpoint. Another lever was positioned on the wall just around the corner. Ophelia pulled it down and watched as a gate opened ahead. She went down the next dark hallway where she found another room similar to the last. Again, she jumped across wooden beams to get to the other side of the room and to her next entrance.

Ophelia moved through the catacombs, conquering the many obstacles the underground tombs put forth to her. Eventually, she reached an area with four guards. Two were talking to one another and the other two were standing on the tops of fallen structures. She quickly turned the corner and scaled the fall of one of the structures. She reached up, drove her blade through the guard's neck, and flung him over the edge behind her. She pulled herself up onto the structure and cautiously approached the next corner. She listened for the other guard's footsteps. As they neared, she drew her dagger, holding it in her hand tightly. The man passed, now detecting her presence. She snuck up behind him, covered his mouth with her hand, and slit his throat. She let the body fall to the floor before creeping to the edge of the structure. There, she watched the pattern of the remaining two guards. They continued to chat while walking around a pool of water in the middle of the room. Below her was a pile of hay that was close to the guards' path. She quickly jumped down and hid herself in the hay. Ophelia waited for the two guards to pass her before quietly jumping out of the hay. She stalked the two men from behind for a few moments before driving her dagger through one man. The other man raised alarm but she quickly silenced him. She looked to her left after hearing a shriek. Another guard had been just beyond the entrance and out of her line of sight. She wished Ezio were here with that wonderful vision of his. He would have known the guard was there.

"Intruder! I'm heading to your post!" the guard shouted down the hallway and he sprinted away from Ophelia.

Quickly, Ophelia ran after the guard. He couldn't reach the others. If he did, those guards would warn the Templars and her time in Firenze would prove to be very short. She made a promise to Ezio; she would see him again, and she intended to keep that promise.

The guard ran through an archway and cut a rope once through. This dropped a gate down the doorway. She grunted and took off to the side and into another hallway. The guard continued to run through the main pathway, dropping gates behind him, but Ophelia was much too quick when going through the detours. Eventually, she was in the same hallway as the guard, her running along rocks above the guard who was on the ground. She jumped down and tackled the guard, putting her dagger through his neck.

Ophelia continued down the hallway afterward to find a room with a large door. She assumed this was the way to the Templars' meeting. To her left was a room with guards playing cards at a table. In an archway above was another handle like that of the fountain on the outside of the church. Ophelia could easy scale the wall to reach the handle, so she did. Once pulled, a door behind the archway opened. Ophelia cautiously entered, hearing voices in the distance. She had found the spot to eavesdrop on the Templar meeting.

"Et benedictio Dei omnipotentis, Patris et Filli et Spiritus Sancti descendat super vos et maneat semper."

"Grazie, padre. Bernardo?"

Ophelia looked down between the bars of a window. Below was a table with men surrounding it. There, she recognized Francesco de Pazzi, Rodrigo Borgia, Bernardo Baroncelli, and Jacopo de Pazzi. She hit the jackpot.

"It's all here. Swords. Staves. Axes. Armor. Bows. Our men will want for nothing," Bernardo replied.

"I take this gift to mean the pope consents?"

"He gave his blessing to the operation… 'as long as nobody was killed,'" Borgia chuckled. Of course, people were going to be killed. Ophelia knew Borgia's ways well enough to know he had lied.

"We're all set for duomo in the morning, Signore. The baits been laid, but it wasn't easy... His fool brother keeps changing his plans," Francesco told Borgia.

"Si, but we'll need to be on hand to make sure Giuliano even gets out of bed for church tomorrow!" joked Baroncelli.

Giuliano… so they were attacking the Medici.

"What is it, Jacopo? Do you think they suspect something?" Borgia asked.

"Impossible! The Medici are too arrogant or too stupid to even notice. Likely a bit of both!" Francesco interjected.

"Do not underestimate our enemies, Francesco! Or have you already forgotten how your son was murdered?!" Jacopo asked.

This brought a smile to Ophelia's face. Ezio was successful in his mission. Ezio was okay!

"We'll suffer no such surprises this time, maestro. You have my word," Francesco bowed to Borgia in promise of doing a better job this time.

"Molto bene. I should be off. I've some other business to attend to before I return to Rome… Gentlemen, tomorrow, a new sun rises over Firenze! May the father of understanding guide us…" Borgia announced, closing the meeting.

"May the father of understanding guide us," the others repeated, all putting a hand over their hearts.

Ophelia quickly turned down the hallway and into a separate room, closing the door behind her. She didn't want to risk the men finding her. The information she picked up from the meeting was important. The Medici, allies of the assassins, were being targeted by the Templars. Ophelia would need to be at the church tomorrow before service in order to protect the family.

Ophelia heard footsteps walk past the door and held her breath. She didn't want one of them to open the door. The sound of footsteps quickly dissipated and she deemed it safe to walk around. In the room was a sarcophagus placed in the center. She went forward to investigate. She saw the assassin's seal on the top and the side as well as a handle that replicated the one of the fountain and the archway. She pulled on the eye sockets and the tomb opened. Inside was a circular stone slab that resembled the missing slabs in the Villa Auditore. Ophelia tucked the slab in her robes and shut the sarcophagus. A few treasure chests were on the floor next to the sarcophagus, which she quickly looted. She then looked around the room for an exit. There were no windows, so she couldn't escape by going out a window. On one wall was a stone rectangle that looked much like a door. She went to push on it and in a few moments, the stone began to move.

There then was a hallway with a light at the end. As she approached the light, she noticed it was a window. She quickly opened the window and jumped out to find herself on a balcony atop the church. She looked over the edges of the balcony to see if haystacks of carts of leaves were anywhere to be found. Below was a cart of hay. She stood on the edge of the balcony and performed a leap of faith into the cart. She got out and brushed herself off. She always felt awkward coming out of carts after having jumped from high. Surely people saw and were amazed with the feat, but she had to act like jumping from that high and surviving wasn't a big deal.

The sun was almost set and the sky was getting dark. Ophelia knew she needed to head back to Leonardo's. Instead of taking to the rooftops, she decided to take the streets. She had enough climbing and jumping for one day. She was just ready to be back at Leonardo's workshop.

She soon arrived and knocked twice on the door. She didn't want to let herself in and startle the artist. He was quick to frighten.

Leonardo soon opened the door with a smile. "Ophelia! Perfect timing! I have just finished dinner!" Leonardo said happily. Ophelia looked over to the eating table with delight. He had prepared them a feast.

"Leonardo! This looks fantastic! What's the occasion?" Ophelia asked as she began shedding her armor and weaponry.

Leonardo shut the door behind her and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know… It was your first day on your mission. I felt like you deserved a treat to get you started."
Ophelia put a hand on Leonardo's shoulder and smiled sweetly. Though Leonardo was shorter than Ezio, he still was much taller than Ophelia. She had to reach up to find his shoulder. "Grazie, Leonardo. Your hospitality is unmatched."

Leonardo grinned and motioned for her to sit. "Please, have a seat! We have a lot of eating to do so we can get to those codex pages!"

Ophelia remembered the codex pages and removed them form her robes. She sat them down on Leonardo's desk, put her armor and weapons in a neat pile on the floor, and sat down at the table. "Yes! I am excited to learn!" Ophelia replied. She looked out to the spread on the table. Leonardo had made a roast of sirloin beef, spice, and vegetables. There was a fresh loaf of bread as well with tomatoes and garlic. A plate of meat and cheese was set out as well with a bowl of lettuce. Ophelia licked her lips as she looked at the spread. "What should I have first?!" she asked Leonardo.

Leonardo had already began slicing off pieces of roast. He put a slice on her plate and then used a spoon to put the broth and vegetables next to the meat. "There! Try it!"

Ophelia took a bite of the roast and her face lit up. "Leonardo! Your company is always enjoyable, but one of the best things about staying with you is your cooking! Bravo!"

Leonardo couldn't help but smile at the compliment.

The two ate for a good portion of the night. Ophelia explained what had happened during the day to Leonardo, from meeting La Volpe who she referred to as the 'fox she hunted,' to the Templar meeting. Leonardo was glad that she was able to eavesdrop in on the meeting. She could at least help save the Medici family who were dear friends of Leonardo.

After the two were full and conversation had waned, Leonardo began teaching Ophelia about the different techniques in deciphering the codex. He began by looking at one of the two codex pages she brought him. He told her that the page was written in an ancient language and that once he translated to Italian, they would have to take every third letter of each word. Ophelia immediately was confused, but continued to pay attention to Leonardo as he worked through the pages. The secret to deciphering the codex pages wasn't a certain trick; the secret was having enough knowledge to know what certain words and languages mean.

The two finally had the pages deciphered. One held instructions for a second hidden blade, which he would work on for Ophelia tomorrow. The second page talked about the installment of a gun on the second hidden blade. Leonardo would work on the gun with the other blade tomorrow as well.

After the two finished with the pages, Ophelia retired to her room. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of Ezio being okay as she rested her head on her pillow. She always knew he would be successful, but the small amount of doubt she had was overwhelming. One more Templar was killed and one more assassin stayed alive. Ophelia only hoped she would be successful tomorrow.

If you couldn't tell, I'm not a fan of La Volpe. I never have been and I probably never will be. So I apologize if you're a fan of him; he;s not going to get better in my story.