"So you entirely abandon a perfectly good plan on a whim?" Malik asked again.

"Not a whim, exactly. I had new information," Quill replied matter-of-factly.

They were headed back to Masyaf, to prepare for Rima's funeral and the impending attack. Quill sat perched behind Altaïr on Shadowmere, and Emir carried his brother in the saddle with him, there being too few horses. Quill didn't relish the idea of going wolf again so soon in any case. Her eventful evening was taking its toll, and every so often she would find herself nodding off to sleep despite the speed at which they were traveling.

"True. I still think you're crazy though."

"Just enough to make me interesting," she replied with a broad smile. Malik clearly did not take too well to improvisation, something that she found quite amusing.

After some moments of silence Quill dozed off again, her forehead slumped against Altaïr's back.

"I think you might loose a passenger Altaïr," Malik commented, expecting Quill to slip from the saddle at any moment.

"No," he replied with a smile, half looking over his shoulder. "She won't fall off this horse."

"You are sure it is a horse?"

Shadowmere responded with snort.

There was much still about Quill and her strange mount that even he didn't understand, he could hardly expect Malik to do so, so soon. She still looked the same as she did when they first met, and he wondered absently how four years could have changed her face so little while changing her character so much.

She was more careful around people, and although much of her easy-goingness had returned, he had long suspected that her off-hand manner and quick smile was a form of defense, a way to keep people from really knowing her without them even realizing it. The way she had little or no regard for her own safety had, if anything, only gotten worse. She had gone uninformed into hostile territory and changed a (mostly) well formulated plan mid-mission. Many experienced Assassins would not have walked into that camp, but then again perhaps ignorance is bliss. He had to admit though, he probably would have changed the plan too, given the circumstances. Malik was not one to deviate from the plan. He always liked having a plan. The thought made Altaïr smile.

She jerked wide awake the moment the horses came to a halt at the stables, neatly swinging herself off the black horse.

It was late afternoon already, and while Altaïr and Malik prepared defenses and strategy, Emir and Mika saw to the final arrangements for their sister. Quill felt she would be more welcome in assisting Altaïr than Emir, still avoiding the latter for her own feelings of guilt, but she first decided to get the gore of the previous day cleaned.

She entered Altaïr's study a while later, armor gleaming, her hair still slightly wet and smelling faintly of Skyrim. Both looked up at her approach.

"Feeling better?" Malik asked.

"Yes, I feel human again," she said, and after seeing his expression added with a grin, "Literally and figuratively."

The map spread out in front of them showed the fortress and surrounding area, a few markers were placed at key points. They quickly informed her of their plan, and she nodded in agreement, but pointed out a possible area for them to circumvent the approaching army and attacking from both quarters while they were stuck in a deep valley. Altaïr was impressed, he had considered a similar course of action. Clearly her experience in their civil war had given her some exposure to battle strategy. Malik too seemed happy with the plan, and left them then to delegate and issue orders.

The evening air was refreshingly cool, and Quill watched the funeral procession with a melancholy interest. She had been avoiding both Emir and Mika, and she made sure to fall in right at the back of the mourners. Altaïr walked with her, both quiet and lost in thought. After a brief ceremony, the people dispersed leaving only the late girl's brothers. Quill remained hovering in the shadows, unwilling to intrude on them, but still feeling herself reluctant to leave.

"Are you coming?" she heard Altaïr ask behind her.

This brought her to the attention of the brothers too. Mika's eyes brimmed with tears, as he ran towards her, flinging his arms around her waist. He had kept a brave face the entire time, but seemed to need someone to cry with too. Quill felt a silent tear roll down her cheek as she kept the firm gaze of Emir, his expression unreadable.

"I am so sorry, Mika," she said, giving the boy a firm hug.

Walking towards the shrouded figure, she took the Amulet of Talos from around her neck and placed it on the folded hands, Mika clinging to her other hand.

"I really am sorry," she repeated to Emir.

At first she thought he might not respond, but he nodded, exhaling with a shudder.

"It's not your fault, you know. I was angry with you, but this was not your doing. They would have killed her anyway, at least now she could take one of them with her," he replied finally. He picked Mika up, turning back to the fortress.

"Let's head back," a familiar voice said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Nodding, she followed mutely.

. . .

There wasn't much sleep to be had that night, the fortress was a hive of activity in the preparation for dawn. After wandering aimlessly around for hours, not sure what to occupy herself with, she found Malik and Altaïr standing outside in the garden. It was silent, but a kind of expectant stillness. She guessed the time well past midnight, the utter darkness of the world's night still made it difficult for her to judge.

"So what are you going to miss most about this world?" Malik asked after a while, understandably no-one was in the mood to dwell much on the battle that threatened.

"Mmmmm, definitely being able to wash my hair and not worry about drying it," she replied light-heartedly. She laughed at their confounded expressions.

"What?"

"No, really. I knew a girl growing up that went out side too soon after her mother had bathed her, and her wet hair froze. Broke clean off." She said, demonstrating a snap only a few inches about her head. Malik found it quite amusing, and although Altaïr smiled, she read something else in his eyes.

"I have been wondering," Altaïr asked, "How old are you?"

She gave him an odd look. "Whyyyy?"

"It's just that four years is quite a long time, and honestly you look the same to me."

"Flatterer," she said rolling her eyes sarcastically. "I am going on six and twenty."

"From the stories Altaïr told me, I would have thought you much older. You have been very busy," Malik said, giving her an odd look.

"You were twenty one when we met?"

"Give or take a year, yes," she replied, still uncertain why they found it strange or interesting.

"Give or take?" Malik asked, confused.

"I was a foundling," she answered simply.

"You were so young," Altaïr said, suddenly getting better understanding why her leadership rolls had bothered her so much, and why the fate of the world being in her hands had haunted her dreams.

"Eh, not really," she replied shrugging with one shoulder. "They recruit kids younger than that in the army. Why? Feeling old?" she added giving them a cheeky grin, causing them both to laugh despite the tense mood of the day. Malik excused himself, saying he wanted to at least rest, if not actually get any sleep, before morning.

"So, you'll really miss not drying your hair the most?" he asked, quirking a brow.

"Well I'll definitely miss that yes. But that's not all I'll miss," she replied, looking out into the darkness. "But he doesn't need to know that," she added turning towards him with a sly smile.

He gave a little huff of laughter in reply, shaking his head.

"You don't have to go, I'm sure we'll find a use for you here," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "How will you get back, after all, you'll be leaving the Pieces of Eden here. And besides, I'm sure I heard there was an opening in the scullery."

"I could stay, sure," she replied with a feigned nonchalant shrug. "Might even teach you lot something about being real assassins. And besides, I really think this place would be improved by permanent snow-cover." It was true, just like he was an anchor in her world for his own, she was doing the same there.

"The fur trade will surely pick up, we should invest now." She laughed at this, shaking her head. Both knew she could not stay, neither knew how she would get home though, but in going she had no option.

"I miss it," she said after a while. "Skyrim."

"You sound surprised?"

"A little."

"You fought and won a civil war for the place, and you are surprised that you miss it?"

"You make it sound like I fought the war single handedly," she said with a laugh. "I... I took quite a knock in confidence after facing Alduin, and..." And after you disappeared, but she stopped herself before she said it aloud.

I kept mostly to myself, I shied away from other people. Vilkas was a good friend to me during that time. He often just sat with me. Never pestered me with questions, or tried to talk nonsense to fill the silence."

Altaïr remembered the big, silver eyed man well - and remembered the tenderness he saw in the man when it came to Quill. He doubted whether anyone else would have noticed, including Quill. Vilkas was quite good at keeping a straight face it seemed, but once or twice while spending time with the Companions, Altaïr had caught just a glimpse of it. It made him smile a little ruefully.

"Well, you should try to get some rest, I think I will do the same - I expect tomorrow won't grant any," he said eventually.

Quill watched him leave, but did not follow his advice. She doubted that she would be able to find rest before such an uncertain dawn. With a sigh she looked up into the strange evening sky, breathing in the still slightly unfamiliar scents and tried to enjoy the solitary moment. Her mind kept turning back to Skyrim - back home - it filled her equally with longing and sadness. Altaïr might have joked about not knowing how she would get home, but it did worry her. What if she couldn't go back at all? Would she be happy, would she be sad? She expected a little of both.

"What if, indeed..." she muttered.

Author's note: apologies for the slow updates - life is a little upside down, but I will keep updating as often as I am able! Thanks for reading!