Hello again! I hope you all had a great weekend and let's get this show on the road! Enjoy chapter 14!
Once our mission was done, I returned to the Homestead. I take a deep breath and walk in, the warmth burning my nose and fingers. There, I see Achilles sitting down, tea in hand.
"Ah, Hope. Welcome back." He greets me warmly. "How did the mission fare?" I sit across from the elderly man, smiling.
"It went well, old man." I reply, grabbing a needle and working on some stitchwork I left. "Are you better?"
He smiled back and sipped his tea. "Yes, I believe so." I finished my beading and stood, stretching.
"Would you like something to eat?" I ask, walking towards the pantry and looking around. Everything had been moved. Diana reorganized everything again..
"Thank you, child, but I have work to do." And with that, he stood and left for his study. Diana walked by me and placed a dish down.
"Hello, Hope. You've been away for a long time." She said, smiling at me. I smiled back and tie my hair back. She starts on the dishes and passes them to me to dry them
"Yeah. I was on a mission with Connor." I respond, wiping the dish. My response caught her interest and her face lit up.
"Oh? When is he comin' back?"
I sighed and placed the dish away. "I don't know. Maybe never." She frowned and pat my back, murmuring words of pity. My smile faltered and I decided to change the subject.
"How's Prudence enjoying motherhood?"
"Very much, I believe. Warren and her haven't stopped talking about lil' Hunter."
"Well, I'm glad for her. God knows how much Warren and her wanted a kid."
We laughed and when we finished, she bid me farewell and left to tend to the clothes. I went upstairs and put on my dress and apron, tightening my ponytail. I rushed back downstairs and grabbed an apple, chopping it up and placing
it in a bowl. I then sat down and snacked on them while I traced the patterns in the wooden table with my finger. Once I finished, I walked upstairs and plopped on my bed, sighing contently and drifting off to sleep.
A year soon passed, and the community grows. My days are a blur of aid and chatter, many of Connor's chores become my own and I begin to fill his role at the Homestead. Many days I think of him, of that mission and Kanatahséton. I'm tempted to bring him back but decide against it. Luckily, the Templars don't seek me often.
When I rise, I tie my hair back and straighten my dress. I wear it often since Ellen made it for me several months ago. Once I stretch and walk down the stairs, I pick up some cloth and my beads and continue my sewing. After a while, I hear the door swing open and I get up to greet the newcomer, straightening my dress.
"Hello, Hope." My eyes widen and I nearly stab my finger. Could it be? I rush towards the voice and see him, a small smile on his face.
"Oh my god.." I smile, running up to him and embracing him quickly. He smiles back and hold me tightly, sighing contently. I look up at him and our lips meet. He breaks the kiss and releases me as I reluctantly pull my arms away.
"What are you doing back?" I ask, placing my project on the table. He looks around and looks back at me.
"I came to apologize to the old man. I said all those words out of anger." I nod and point at Achilles' study. He murmurs a thank you and makes his way to the study, knocking on the wood frame. Achilles looks up and when he sees him, he smiles and looks back at his notebook.
"Welcome back. And how was Martinique?"
"Achilles.. I.. I owe you an apology..." When Achilles doesn't acknowledge his words, he sighs and continues. "It was wrong of to say the things I did..." The old man looks up and places his quill down.
"Your words were harsh, Connor, but there was also truth there. I failed the Order. Allowed the Templars to take control..." He remarked, sighing. Connor remained silent, pondering on something.
"But now their hold is weakened, which makes me believe there's a chance for peace. Imagine what might be accomplished if we were to unite." Achilles looks up, confused.
"Why the change of heart?" He asks and then glances at me. "Where is this coming from..?" A realization spreads through him and he slowly turns to the young assassin.
"You've met your father, haven't you.." He says, standing up and approaching the youth.
"I do not claim to trust the man- or even like him. But.. I would be remiss to ignore this opportunity."
"Haytham may listen. But will he understand? And even if he does, will he agree?"
"Even he must admit that we can achieve more together than we do alone."
"I assume you're off to find him..?" The old man asks after a moment.
"Yes.." Connor replies. "I ride for New York to see what might be done.."
He look down and walks away from the elder, who has sat back down and continued his writing. When he return to the door, I'm waiting for him.
"I'm coming with you, y'know." I state, following him through the door. He looks back at me and shakes his head.
"No. This is something I must do alone."
"Who said I'd be helping? Besides, I was going to go and pick up a few things."
"Fine.." He sighs and we mount up on our horses. I check my saddle bag and slip the Templar cross into the side pocket, along with my robes and we ride to New York.
When we arrive, we dismount and make our way to Haytham. When we come across him, he's speaking to another man. He clearly see us at the corner of his eye and signals us to remain there until he's finished.
"We need to know what the Loyalists are planning if we're to put an end to this."
I've tried! But the soldiers themselves are told nothing now- only to await orders from above."
"Then keep digging. Come find me when you have something worth sharing." The spy nods and walks away quickly as Haytham sighs and walks towards us.
"We're so close to victory. A few more well placed attacks and we'll be able to put an end to this civil war and be rid of the Crown."
"What do you intend?" Connor asks, eyeing his father.
"Well, nothing at the moment- since we're completely in the dark."
"I thought the Templars had eyes and ears everywhere."
"Oh, we did. Until you started cutting them off."
"Your contact said orders from above. It tells us exactly what we need to do: track down the Loyalist commanders."
"Good idea, Connor." I say, approaching the men. Haytham nods and we leave to track them down. We soon locate them in an abandoned building and we eavesdrop on them.
"Have you considered the proposal?" One said to his comrades. The other shook his head as the third said silent and listened.
"I am unconvinced. To reinforce them would leave New York exposed. It's hard maintaining order with our current numbers. Cut in half.."
"Yet if we do not join them, they risk defeat. And then what?"
"Well, they should have come by sea.."
"They're talking in circles.." Haytham growled as we observed them. "We'll learn nothing watching as we are."
"Then what do you propose we do? March in there and demand answers?" Connor muses, slightly annoyed at his father's statement.
"Well, yes." And with that, he leaps down upon the guards and air assassinates them. The commanders look around yell that there is an ambush.
"A little help here?" Haytham asks and we leap down, killing two soldiers each. We draw our weapons and come to his aid. We slash and spin around our enemies until all are either dead or wounded. We approach the commanders and tie them up, pushing them against the wall.
"We'll bring them to my quarters at Fort George and see what secrets they might share." Haytham said as he finished tying the wrists of the last man when the first one shook his off and ran away as fast as he could.
"Really?" He said and sighed. "Well, you'd best get after him, then."
"You go. I will watch the prisoners."
"No, you do it."
"Why me?"
"Because I said so! Now go!"
Connor groaned and began to chase the man. I pulled on one of the commanders' jackets and we led them to Fort George.
"Have you been discovered yet?" The Grandmaster asks as we make our way to the fort.
"No. No one suspects."
"Good. Now, what does the assassin intend?"
I sigh and look down. "He intended to make peace. To unite both orders and end the ancient war between Assassins and Templars."
"Oh, really?" He asks, raising his brow. "Did you plant that idea in his head?"
"No, I believe you did." I chuckle, and look up to see the fort. I push my prisoner to Haytham and stay near the gate, waiting for Connor.
The assassin shows up later, the missing commander in his possession. Poor man.. He looks as though he'd piss himself..
"Wait, wait!" The captive man says to Connor, refusing to go further. "I'll tell you anything you want. Anything! Only don't make me go in there!"
"We just have some questions for you." Connor says, attempting to calm the man.
"Cross that threshold and I'm a dead man!" He muttered and his eyes widened in fear. What has he been told about this place?
"There you are, Connor! I was worried you might have gotten lost..." Haytham's voice rang out and I turned to see him walking past me.
"Come along, then!" He said and brought the captive along. The man looked pleadingly at Connor, who followed silent and confused. We entered the fort and went into a dark room. Haytham roughly sat the man down in a bloody chair and retied him up. There were two other men sitting in chairs opposite of me, their necks slit. I held in my fury and sadness and faced the prisoner. He killed them..
"What are the British planning?" Haytham asked, both men circling him. The man looked frantically at both and spoke with a shaky voice.
"To march from Philadelphia. That city's finished. New York's the key. They'll double our numbers- push back the rebels."
"When do they begin?"
"Two days from now."
"June 18th..." Connor mused. "I must warn Washington."
"You see? That wasn't so very difficult, now was it?" Haytham chimed, as if he was talking to an infant.
"I've t-told you everything.. Now l-let me go!" The Regular squealed, shivering in fear. The older man looked to his son and walked behind the man.
"Of course." He said, and unsheathed his hidden blade, slicing open his throat. His blood sprayed across his chest as we watched him gurgle and gasp, soon passing on.
'The other two said the same. It must be true." He said, cleaning his blade. Connor stared at his father, his eyes filled with anger and disbelief.
"You killed him.. " He breathed, and raise his voice. "You killed ALL of them. Why?"
"They'd have warned the Loyalists." He stated simply, confused at his expression.
"You could have held them until the fight was done."
"What?.. And waste precious time and money on their care? What would be the point? They'd given up everything they knew." Assuming it was over, he walked away, informing us to head to Valley Forge.
Connor nods and lowers his head as we follow him.
"We have to bury them." He states, glancing at me and sighing.
I agree and we untie them, close their eyes, and bury them under leaves and sticks. After a few words, we head to Valley Forge, where Haytham is waiting for us.
"Hello, Connor. Hope. Took you two long enough."
"Well, sorry to keep you waiting." I say, walking up to the man. "We were busy taking care of those men you killed."
Haytham sighed and pinched his nose. "Did you really have to? You wasted time on them."
"It is the least they deserved." Connor snarled and walked past him, me trailing behind. The older man just shrugged it off and followed his son.
"We should be sharing what we know with Lee, not with Washington..."
"You seem to think I favor him. But my enemy is a notion, not a nation. It is wrong to compel obedience- whether to the British Crown or the Templar Cross. And I hope in time the Loyalists will see this too, for they are also victims."
"You oppose tyranny. Injustice. These are just symptoms. Their true cause is human weakness. Why do you think I keep on trying to show you the error of your way?"
"You have SAID much, yes, but you have SHOWN me nothing." Connor remarks, walking away.
"Then we'll have to remedy that then, won't we..." He replies and follows him. I trail behind and observe the men, who are greeted by Washington.
"Sir."
Washington stands and a faint smile crosses his face.
"Hello Connor. What brings you here?"
'The British have recalled their men in Philadelphia. They march for New York."
"Very well. I'll move our forces to Monmouth. If we can rout them, we'll have finally turned the tide."
"And what's THIS?" Haytham interrupts, holding up a letter. Washington rushes towards him and attempts to snatch it back.
"Private correspondence!" He shouts as Haytham dodges his lunges.
"Of course it is." He snidely remarks and walks towards us. "Would you like to know what it says, Connor?" Oh, no.. This can't be good..
Connor just stares at them, confusion sprawled across his face as he tries to read it from where he stands.
"It seems your good friend here has just ordered an attack on your village. Though attack' might be putting it mildly." Those words send fury through my veins as I see the anger and shock fill his face. Washington is attacking Kanatahséton?! HOW DARE HE!
"Tell him, commander."
The commander sunk his head down and confirmed Haytham's words.
"We've been receiving reports of allied natives working with the British. I've asked my men to put a stop to it."
"By burning their villages and salting their lands. By calling for their extermination, according to this letter.." I looked over at Connor, who was shaking his head and looking down, attempting to make sense of it all.
"Not the first time, either. Tell him what you did fourteen years ago.." No.. He didn't.. He couldn't have done that..
"That was another time. The Seven Years War."
"And so now you see what happens to this 'great man' when under duress. He makes excuses, displaces blame. Does a great many things, in fact- except take responsibility."
"ENOUGH!" Connor shouts and they stop their pointless bickering.
"Who did what and why must wait! My people come first." He says, his voice filled with hurt and anger. Haytham turns and with a horribly concealed hatred for Washington, walks towards his son.
"Then let's be off." He says and Connor glares at his father.
"No. You and I are finished."
"Son..." He breaths, his voice hinted with sorrow.
"Do you think me so soft that by calling me 'son' I might change my mind? How long do you sit on this information or am I to believe you discovered it now?! My mother's blood may stain another's hands, but Charles Lee is no less a monster, and all he does, he does by your command!" Haytham looked down and both men attempt to follow, prompting the assassin to glare at both men and point a finger at both.
"A warning to you both- choose to follow me or oppose me, and I will kill you.." And with those venom-laced words, he runs off towards his village and mounts his horse. I stare at both men and draw my sword, pointing it at Washington.
"How DARE you do that after ALL he's done- after ALL he's sacrificed!" I shout at the man, aiming for his arteries. He stands and a few Patriots aim their muskets at me.
"I should kill you for what you've done!" I roar, using all restraint on holding back my lunge and I shove my sword back in it's sheath.
"But if I did that, all we've worked for will be for nothing.." I turn to Haytham and run back to my horse, intent on following him.
I have to get there and help him stop it, before they are killed!
There's Chapter 14! I hope you enjoyed! Only a few more chapters now.