Chapter 12

As Franchesca made her way down to the kitchen that next morning, she was thrilled to see that Cameron was up and about, sitting in the kitchen. "You're up!" She exclaimed.

The blonde turned to smile at her, "Yes," He nodded, "I was going to teach you some basic moves today - although I can't be an opponent just yet because I'm not fully healed." He explained, "I'll be able to show you stance though, and have you fight an invisible man."

Franchesca nodded eagerly, her mind going back to one night in Damascus when two guards had cornered her on the rooftop and she took up one of their swords. The weight of it! "I've held a sword before," She began, her mood suddenly drooping disappointedly. "It's too heavy."

"You can use mine." He stated, thanking Siobhan for the plate of bread and ham set before him. "Because I'm faster than I am strong, a light-weight blade was made for me so that I could move more flexibly, and to be more agile in general."

"Really?"

He nodded, "Father trained me, and requested the blade to be made especially. Just because the blade is lighter, doesn't mean it can't do just as much damage as any other sword."

Franchesca nodded, thanking the cook for her own breakfast as she began to dig in. "When do you want to start?" She asked.

"We'll wait a while after breakfast," He stated. "And also, another assassin is due to arrive this morning, so we can't be seen in the stables then. We will wait until he arrives and settles his horse in before we begin."

Franchesca smiled, "Alright."

"Would you like to go into town until then?"

She shook her head and grimaced, "I have a writing lesson at some point." She stated, "I've been putting it off for a few hours."

"I was wondering why you were later getting ready than usual." He commented, stuffing a slice of ham into his mouth.

Franchesca sighed, "I suppose reading is alright now that I can kind of make sense of everything," She began. "But writing is completely boring. And it makes my hand ache after a while."

Cameron nodded, "It's because you're not used to holding a quill. It's like swordplay," He sat back in his chair and gestured with his arms. "It's all about the practice. Everyone has to start somewhere. Malik writes all day; every day."

Franchesca grimaced, "He needs to take a break, I'm sure he gets bored. Doesn't he miss climbing and stuff?"

Cameron gave her a blank look, "I think you're forgetting he only has one arm."

She blushed, "I don't know how I could have forgotten that."

"We've all done it, sometimes to his face." He ran a hand through his hair, laughing nervously. "His temper remains the same."

As soon as they had finished breakfast, Franchesca made her way towards the library for her writing lesson whilst Cameron took a trip to the stables. Not only did the blonde want to groom his chestnut gelding, but he would await the arrival of the assassin that was coming that morning.

What he did not expect however, was to find Altair present. Grooming his own black stallion.

"If you spent as much time with a woman as you did grooming your horse, you would have yourself a very satisfied wife." Altair stated, taking note that the younger assassin was up and about.

"I could say the same to you." Cameron replied, "But I suppose you have been spending an awful lot of time with my sister."

Altair ignored the comment, merely continuing to run the brush across the horses velvet coat. "I trust the doctor has allowed you to move around?"

Cameron nodded, bringing up a wet sponge to wash the gelding, "As long as I don't do anything too strenuous. I cannot go running just yet." He responded. "Have you any idea when Sphen is arriving?"

"Sometime this morning." He replied, "And he plans to make a move on Franchesca. I overheard him speaking with a few brothers when I was last in Masyaf."

Cameron nodded, "I suppose I will have to speak with him before he spots her. I don't like him."

"Have you always?" Altair asked, smirking. "Or did you come to that conclusion within the last minute?"

Cameron shrugged, "It doesn't matter. I cannot allow him to be a distraction; 'he with the oh-so-handsome face, carved by the angels themselves. He with the oh-so-luscious red locks that seduce all women'." Cameron scoffed, "Whores really do talk a load of crap sometimes."

Altair shook his head, "He is to assassinate a slaver in the poor district. I doubt he will be here for long."

Cameron disagreed, "You remember Shof's sister?"

"She is to marry Raan?"

The blonde nodded his head, "Sphen took three weeks to complete a mission in Acre, to chase her. A mission that could have been done in four days. Such an easy Target."

"Sounds like you're describing Shof's sister."

"You and her?" Cameron looked shocked, "She is not pure?"

"She wasn't even when I lay with her."

Cameron shook his head in disbelief, "When I pursued her, she seemed to be a closed book."

"That is because you are useless with women."

The younger assassin frowned, "I am not useless-"

"-You listen to the gossip of whores, because you lay with whores." Altair interrupted, "Have you had the daughter of a wealthy merchant? A virgin set to wed someone else? A young woman who does not work in a brothel?"

"No."

"Then perhaps you need to practice your seduction skills. I'm sure you could speak to Sphen as a way to keep him away from your sister."

The sound of approaching hooves caused both assassin and Master Assassin to turn their heads towards the entrance of the stables. A beautiful grey mare trotted inside, her snowy forelock falling gracefully down the side of her cheek; her long tail swishing to and fro with an air of high maintenance. Sphen dismounted, throwing back his hood and running a hand through his copper curls. But once he realised that only two of his brothers stood before him rather than the raven haired young lady which he had expected to greet him upon his arrival, he nodded once before leading his magnificently polished pony into one of the free stables.

Altair shook his head at the ridiculously performed display to continue grooming his stallion whereas Cameron stood open mouthed, with his eyebrows knitted together in disgust as the newly arrived assassin began to untack his horse.

"What the hell was that?"

Sphen looked up at Cameron's outburst and sighed with a large heave of his shoulders, "I was hoping your sister would have been here to greet me," He began, smirking. "I heard that she was very beautiful…and lived in a brothel for twenty years."

Cameron threw down the brush in his hand, earning himself a warning look from Altair. "Why would she be here to greet you? She knows nothing about you."

"She may know me, if she wishes."

Altair grasped Cameron's robes at the scruff of his neck from over the side of the stable to hold him back, "Oh yeah?" The blonde growled, "Well, I doubt she would want to even cast one glance in your direction."

"You say you 'doubt', that is not a definite observation, Cameron. I'm sure she is old enough to decide for herself." He placed the saddle on the side of the stable before picking up a wet rag from a bucket, to give the horse some relief from her sweaty back. "Isn't she marvellous?" Sphen asked, "Many women have commented on her beauty…even those who have never ridden."

"Why don't you make your home in the Bureau?" Cameron growled.

"And miss an opportunity like this?" Sphen grinned towards the entrance to the stables, and Cameron prayed to whatever Lord above that whoever was about to enter was not Franchesca.

"One more hour with that man," The raven haired girl began, flinging her hair out of her face as she stepped into the stables. "And I will do more than fling that stupid book off of the balcony!" She ignored both Sphen and Altair, and rested both arms upon the stable in which Cameron was occupying. "When is this assassin getting here?"

Cameron grinned towards his sister. He had forgotten that she was easily irritated after her lessons, perhaps this would mean she would be rude towards Sphen and put him off?

"We're you waiting for my arrival?"

The raven haired girl turned towards the new voice, "Actually, I was." She stated, "I don't mean to sound rude but could you please hurry up and finish tending to your horse?" She turned to Altair, "And can you as well?" She sighed, "And then both of you get out of the stables?"

"Charming." Altair commented, turning back to his black stallion.

"I do not believe we have been introduced," Sphen began. "I am Sphen Yasin, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She nodded towards him, "Yes-" The raven haired girl then took notice of his horse and she smiled, "She's lovely."

Sphen grinned at Cameron as the raven haired girl made her way towards his stable. "She is, isn't she?"

Franchesca stood outside the stall as the horse stood by the door. Gently, she ran her hand along the mare's long nose, "What is her name?"

"Nazar. It means vow; because she has been very loyal to me."

Altair rolled his eyes, and one glance towards Cameron gave the Master Assassin reason to believe that things were not about to settle down.

"Franchesca?" Cameron cleared his throat, and beckoned for her to come back over towards his own stable. She looked up at him and nodded before turning back to the lady killer. Steam began to protrude from the blonde Assassins ears, so much so that he could no longer hear the conversation between the two of them. Cameron turned to Altair, "He uses his horse?" He whispered harshly.

"Shouldn't you be making notes?" Was the only response he received from the Master Assassin.

Franchesca shook her head at the assassin, "I'm spending the afternoon with Cameron." She stated.

"Then what about tomorrow?"

Again, she shook her head, "I have a writing lesson in the morning. Then I'm going into town to see Dominic."

Sphen raised an eyebrow in confusion, "The Duke's son?" He questioned.

Before Cameron could open his mouth, the sound of a stable door closing behind him followed by booted footsteps, alerted the blonde to the fact that Altair was about to step in.

Franchesca was – not roughly, yet not kindly – shoved in the direction of Cameron's stable, before the two assassins began to converse in whispers so quiet, that the entire communication could have been from one simple look.

"Please don't talk to him." Was the first thing Cameron stated, grabbing onto Franchesca's forearm to pull her closer to hear his strained whisper.

The raven haired girl frowned, "Is something wrong?"

"He has ill intentions!" The 'yeah-right' look shot at him, encouraged the older brother to continue. "Seriously, we're assassins. Why do we need horses that attract that much attention?"

Franchesca shrugged, "He takes good care of her, what's the problem with that? And how does that explain his 'ill intentions'?"

Cameron sighed, "Please, just trust me. He uses his horse to lure women in, and then he swoops in and asks to escort them into the town, he'll buy them a drink – or several – or until they are drunk enough that they don't know what they're doing, and don't care unless it's fun. Then BAM!" Franchesca jumped when he clapped his hands together in front of her face, "He has his way with them."

The raven haired girl sighed, and rolled her eyes at her brothers words, "Alright, well, did you not just hear me making excuses just now anyway?"

Cameron nodded, "Yeah, but that was the truth. You are doing those things. You are busy."

"Exactly." She grinned, "But I do not plan on spending time with him. You know how hard it is for me to be alone anyway."

Cameron's lips pulled up into a sickly-sweet smile, "Of course, how could I forget that you have your future-husband stalking you?"

Franchesca rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Look, I'm trying to hurry him up and get him to leave. Now that Altair is over there talking to him, he is not hurrying up and leaving." She sighed, "Let me hurry Sphen up, and you hurry Altair."

Cameron deadpanned, "No one can hurry Altair."

"Perhaps I can." She grinned, "I'm sure if I annoyed him a lot he would finish up quicker. You go and talk to Sphen."

"I hate him. Nothing good will come out of this."

Franchesca shrugged, "I don't care, just get rid of him."

Cameron grinned, "You do not understand how happy it makes me feel hearing you say those words!"

Franchesca moved over to the black stallions stall and frowned, "Altair!" She gasped, gaining the attention of the Master Assassin. "There is a cut on his foot!"

"It's a hoof." He corrected her, making his way towards the raven haired girl. "Which one?"

She looked down quickly, and – luckily – noticed a scar on the back right hoof. "That one." She pointed towards it and watched as Cameron patted his horse on the neck before leaving her to eat some hay, and quickly making his way towards Nazar and Sphen's stall.

"It's an old wound." Altair stated, crouching before the aforementioned hoof.

"How did he get it?" She asked then.

"Walking through water," The Master Assassin replied, rising to his full height and resuming his grooming duties. "He caught it on a sharp rock."

The strong horse head butted her shoulder, causing the raven haired girl to take a few steps back. She made her way forwards once again until her body was flush with the wooden stall, before raising her hand and gently stroking the stallions' muzzle. "Where?" She asked.

Altair, confused as to why she was suddenly really chatty, began to feel…uncomfortable. "Kingdom."

"I didn't see any water when we rode from Damascus."

"I was riding from Masyaf, to Acre."

"Do you think I'll ever be able to go there?" She asked, genuinely interested.

Altair glanced up at her, "To Masyaf?" He asked.

She shrugged, "To either."

"I suppose you will go to Masyaf one day." Altair replied, running the brush through the stallions' long mane. "But you would have to ask Demetri or Cameron if you wanted to see Acre."

"Could I not go alone?"

"I wouldn't advise you to go on your own. There are many dangers in every city, no matter what district you are in."

"Would you take me?"

He stopped what he was doing, and looked over at her once again before moving away and towards the back end of the horse to brush through his tail. "Not unless I am required to do so."

"What if…" She thought for a moment. "What if…" Franchesca sighed, "What if Dominic is mean, and turns out to be a slaver and someone from Acre buys me?"

"Then I suppose Dominic would be the one to take you there."

Perhaps her staring would make him leave (seeing as the conversation they were having was not making him groom the horse any faster!).

But she found that her staring was probably not such a good idea after all. Even through his thick white robes, she could tell that he obviously had muscle hiding underneath the material. The way his arms moved, his shoulders moved, his back…even his hands – killer hands! – were so gentle when dealing with the majestic animal before him. He groomed the horse with care, and Franchesca could tell that he must have a soft spot for this horse in particular…perhaps all horses even.

"Have you always had this horse?"

He paused brushing for a moment, glancing over towards her quickly before he continued. "No." He replied, "I stole him from a Templar when I had to make an escape, two months ago."

She nodded, "It's just that, you're so gentle with him."

Perhaps she had said the wrong thing, because he tensed up. Putting the brush down, Altair then tossed some hay into the corner of the stable and stepped out – Franchesca having to move to the side quickly before the wooden door caught her foot. - Altair said nothing more, but locked the door behind him and then turned and left the stables.

"Christ, what did you say?" Cameron asked from over by Sphen's stall – the latter still grooming his mare inside.

"Umm…" She began nervously, blushing a little. "I said that he was gentle with the horse."

Cameron burst into a fit of laughter, and Sphen scoffed, "Perhaps the only time he ever will be gentle."

Franchesca sighed, looking over towards the horse that Altair had stolen before making her way towards Sphen's stall – watching his movements as to how he handled the horse before him. Despite saying that the horse was loyal towards him, his movements did not suggest that he had any kind of connection to the mare. Taking a quick look at Sphen's shoulders, back and hands, Franchesca did not find herself admiring the way that the man moved in comparison to the Master Assassin.

She ran her hand through the horses' forelock, frowning when something warm and sticky met her fingertips. Pulling her hand back, she gasped and threw her fingers into Cameron's face, "Oh my god!" She screamed, "There's blood on my hand!"

Cameron grasped hold of her wrist before she could wipe the offending liquid on his face, and inspected it, "What?" He asked himself, turning back to the horse and moving her forelock to the side. "Sphen!" He growled, "You've put her bridle on too tight! It's cut right into her skin!"

Franchesca ran from the stable to go and wash her hand quickly, unable to bring herself to look at the red staining her fingertips. The raven haired girl dodged two white robed men as she skidded along the wooden floorboards towards the kitchen. Once inside, she scrubbed her fingers clean – gagging upon eyeing the clear liquid turning a cloudy pink.

"I don't like him either." She concluded.

A/N: A very Merry Christmas! Hope you all enjoyed the update, I wish you all a wonderful day :) xx