I hear her voice, in the morning hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And driving down the road I get a feeling
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads

Take Me Home, Country Roads, John Denver, Poems, Prayers and Promises, released in 1971

Primo giorno

Day one was..interesting to say the least. What's the best way to put it? We left Rome at roughly eight'o'clock, much later then what me and Ezio would have left. Maria and Claudia didn't want to leave at six, and so while me and Ezio got up then, sparred a bit, and packed the horses with our few belongings, Maria and Claudia lied in their nice warm bed. I tuned my archery skills briefly, trying to keep what little skill I had in check. I bet you forgot that I liked using my bow most, right? I hadn't exactly gotten into many scraps- in fact possibly even before we arrived in Rome. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing- but at least I had Ezio as a sparring partner. We could try and keep our skills fresh together- even if his skills were far superior to me.

Claudia and Maria woke up at seven, and were ready and waiting by a small stable outside Rome. Maria and Claudia would take their cart back, with me and Ezio riding by their sides on Argento and Leale respectively. Speaking of the horse in general, he nudged his nose into my palm, snorting when I patted him back. His glossy coat was well looked after, and I slipped a few florins into the Stablemaster's hand for taking such good care of my horse. I hated when animals were not treated well. Don't misunderstand me- while I hate animals being abused I'm not a vegetarian. I see no problem with eating animals, provided they were killed humanly and were well cared for while they were alive. That was a tangent and a half..

Anyway, Maria and Claudia had packed light for the trip, because it wasn't like they were moving to Rome. Just a few clothes, robes, and a few things that Mario asked if they could send. I had found out later that they had been escorted by Sofie, and another Assassin who was permanently staying in Rome. Sofie was there for a mission, but would be returning back to Monteriggioni after she was no longer needed. I swung myself onto Argento's back, Ezio following suit. I had my normal robes on, my armour stashed neatly away in the back of what I now deemed as the Auditore Wagon. When we parted at Monteriggioni, I would get changed into it- as the roads to Forli were more perilous and dangerous compared to the road we were taking currently. And since my robes were reinforced as a favour of Ezio (I was equal parts appreciative, and equal parts 'oh my god he reinforced my robes I didn't even know that was a thing') I was doubly protected from any wayward Templars. I wasn't cocky enough to believe that I was indestructible, nor was I stupid enough to believe that my fighting skills were infallible.

Fortunately the day's ride progressed swiftly and without any trouble. However, we didn't stop in Orvieto this time. It was too risky to have his family in there, especially since Ezio was still technically an outlaw. It may have been Assassin controlled, but even then there could be Templars in hiding. So we figured we would set up camp in a little lay by just off of the road, near a small wooded area. We had settled between us that while I would hunt (and possibly channel my inner Ratonhnhaké:ton) and he would stay near his family, gathering wood for a fire. We weren't quite there just yet, but I was glad it wouldn't be too much longer. My legs were beginning to cramp, and I was eager to go and move around. I hadn't moved much today, and while I had fun bonding with Claudia and Maria, I was unused to staying still for so long.

Breathe. In and out. Bow held steady, arrow notched. Legs crouched, downwind. Any sense of danger might startle her. Perfect balance- not easy to see by any normal sight. If I shot in the wrong area, she could easily out run me. Had to either get it in the neck or the leg. Killing it quickly would be the best course of action for both it and me. Shuffled, string drawn back. Bow light and steady in my slightly bent arms. Arrow aimed- and flies. No sound is emitted as the arrow zoomed through the air, carving its way through like it was nothing. Jumped forward to another branch, balancing carefully on the weak branch. The arrow struck home, deep in the chest, and she fell, her chest rising and falling slowly. I jumped down, my knees bending as to avoid breaking them. The impact momentarily jarred me, before I approached the fallen doe. I looked at her in the eyes, and quickly put my hand over her neck, in some semblance of comfort. I nodded my head in respect, the whole situation reminding me too much of Bambi. I hoped there was no fawn...otherwise I had just left it without a mother. That would make me no better then the Templars who killed Ezio's family. Even if she was just an animal, being an orphan was nothing fun.

"Mi dispiace. Grazie per aver dato da mangiare alla mia famiglia. Sono grato. Riposare in pace."

I sighed..but activated my hidden blades, inserting my blade into her neck deeply. She took one more breath in, before exhaling, her head pressed peacefully into my hand. I laid her down, and similar to what Ratonhnhaké:ton did, took the blade out of my hidden blade. It was a nifty trick that I had soon learned, it was a matter of activating the blade once, and sharply pulling once more to eject. I only took out one of them, the other still hidden. I was no butcher- but I knew that the head, feet, and tail were not exactly the nicest parts to eat. So I carefully sawed them off first, trying my hardest not to have my stomach turn at the pure squeamishness of it. Following that, I cut her flanks, putting them aside in a little bag Ezio had given me for the job. I didn't even know that he had a bag assigned to put hunted food in. It was surprising.. After cutting off the flanks, I set to work upon the main body, knowing that it would take me a little bit- okay a lot longer- to cut up.

The doe was not small by any means, but wasn't large either. Nowhere near as large as an elk, fortunately. Soon the bag was bulging, and I had buried what remains were left. As I headed back to the campsite, I saw some wild raspberries, blackberries, and cranberries, scattered all around in different bushes. Perhaps I could make an impromptu sauce. Although it certainly wouldn't be Gordon Ramsay standards. Anyway, I needed to hurry up. The Auditore family were no doubt starving by now.

The smell of cooked venison flowed through the air, serenading every-bodies' noses. It encouraged my stomach to rumble and complain, as I diligently pulped the berries into well..a pulp. We didn't have a sieve, but I was good at improvising. I had a small square of cloth, which I had separated from the main piece that Ezio had given me previously. Scraping the purplish pulp into the cloth, I moved it around using my hidden blade, forcing it to go into the cup that was balanced between my legs. Purple on white wasn't a good thing- and I doubt it would ever get off if I got it on. And as much as I liked the colour purple, I preferred to keep my white robes white. I wasn't quite sure how it would taste- I had no sugar or anything, so I was relying on natural sweetness. Maria was her usual quiet self, staring into the forest deep in thought. Ezio was conversing with his sister rapidly in hushed Italian as he seared the venison, and I was just sitting quietly on the rock. I felt kind of guilty about leaving Maria there by herself, so I walked over to Maria and sat down next to her, announcing my presence with the small repetitive sound of me scraping the pulp in the cloth. The telltale sound of juice pouring through was heard, which was making me thirsty. Maria didn't seem to mind too much. We just sat next to each other, in silent companionship, as I hooked the would be sauce over the fire. I added a bit of water to dilute it, and allowed it to boil and simmer over the intense heat.

"How is Ezio treating you caro?"

I was momentarily startled by Maria directly addressing me, but shrugged it aside quickly. This wasn't the same Maria from the video games after all- so I shouldn't be too surprised if she responded to me.

"Molto bene, grazie."

She smiled at me, opening her mouth to say something to me, before she was distracted by Ezio summoning us over to the fire once more. I looked at her, silently asking her to speak whatever she was going to say, but she shook her head. Knowing how stubborn Auditores could be, I didn't push, just strolled over to the fire and sat next to Ezio, leaning deeply into Ezio's shoulder. As the smell of meat and bread serenaded my nose, I realised that I hadn't been this relaxed in a long time. Something about the countryside air was refreshing, and the fact that I was with Ezio made it even better.

Secondo giorno

We were due to arrive at good old Monteriggioni soon. I admit, I missed the old place, something about it just lingered in my soul. And I was looking forward to seeing Mario again. Whether I intended to or not, I had adopted him as my own Uncle. He was everything I wished my Uncle was..and more. It helped that he looked after Ezio- that certainly didn't hurt. For breakfast we had some bread embalmed with fruit. It was light, and didn't settle my stomach too much. I had gotten up early to treat Argento and Leale to a spa day. In the back of the wagon there was a little box filled with horse care items. One of which was a brush. I couldn't wash them, but I could trim and brush their manes (which were long and tangled respectively,) and brush their own coat. First I had started with Argento's mane, trysting him not to kick out or otherwise injure me. But he was a good natured horse, so I knew he wouldn't do it intentionally.

"We've got a long day of riding ahead of us boy."

He snorted in agreement, his front leg pawing the ground. He was munching on some grass, his neck bowed down. While his silver coat was a sense of pride, it had lost it's usual sleekness. He was probably grateful he would get to rest for a few days at Monteriggioni before setting of for Florence, and then Forli. I slightly wet the brush with water from my water skin, and brushed it through his silver fur, untangling various hairs and knots. It wasn't too hard to do- and I made sure I was brushing it all in one direction. It reminded me of when you brushed the dogs in Nintendogs, and had to make sure it was going all in one direction otherwise you would have an annoyed dog. Did anyone else get that? After the short process of grooming his fur, I carefully drew out my hidden blade, making sure not to stab my horse. That would be one way to annoy him. I carefully ran my blade across the mid section, and with a quick slice, cut off about five centimetres of his tail. His mane I would only do two- any closer with my hidden blade and I risked nicking his neck. And I didn't exactly want to do that. After finishing up with Argento, I moved onto Leale, murmuring softly in her ear. I didn't both cutting her main, but I did plait her tail. She seemed to enjoy it. After cleaning the brush, I brushed her coat as well, the impromptu spa day sufficing until we stop at Monteriggioni stables. I shifted the saddle on the both of them, in an attempt to not hurt them.

A little while later, Monteriggioni was just in the distance. It's walls were visible, and above that, the many buildings. The little building outside that was the stables was nothing more then a little box, the horses appearing as little quadrupedal cylinders. I had formed an attachment to the small town, whether through visiting it or the games I didn't know. It felt like my home- more then my house ever did. Everyone knew each other, talked to each other, would do anything for each other. Being alone and solitary wasn't heard of. Even though I was quiet, I admitted it was a good thing- to be forced to speak- I had a habit of hiding behind my shyness when meeting new people. People had pointed it out for all of my life, and it had gotten to the point where even I admitted it was a problem. There were people from all over- a few Frenchmen, numerous Italians, and others. I still hadn't found out what Maria had been going to tell me yesterday, but if it was important I was sure she would mention it. Me and Ezio were riding side by side of the wagon- me on the left, Ezio on the right. We had little trouble- the roads quiet and peaceful. My blade had remained sheathed- and my hidden blade remained clean and sharp from the night before. The last thing you wanted was a blunt blade- because that would make it difficult to wound. And a dirty blade was just..well not pleasant. In order to pass the time, I was humming a song from when I was born. It was my Dad's favourite song..and I loved it as well. I always listened to it when I could- but since that wasn't an option, humming would have to do. Nobody told me that they were annoyed by it, so I continued. It was calming, and even though I couldn't sing, I found myself quietly singing the lyrics under my breath. It was out of time, and out of tune, but it entertained me for a bit. I figured that singing a song that wouldn't exist for a long time, wouldn't hurt the timeline too much. I highly doubted that it would cause the world to end, nor would it cause the Templars to win.

"Touch my world with your fingertips"

"And we can have forever"
"And we can love forever"

I had thought I was singing it quietly, but apparently Ezio could hear me over the pounding of the horse's hooves. He pulled Leale over so that we were riding parallel, and asked me quietly what the song was. I shrugged, and just said that it was a song my dad liked, and that it was from the future. Now that part was quiet as we had no intention of telling Maria or Claudia that I was from the future. We didn't think it would go to well- especially as they were both still grieving. Ezio was as well, but I had no choice in answering him. We had talks about remembering and grieving- and we helped one another, move on from and learn how to cope with the death of our loved ones. We talked about them fondly, told stories about them, remembered what they liked and didn't like. It was our way of coping, our way of relinquishing our emotions.

"I see Monteriggioni!"

Claudia screeched, making me wince as it reverberated in my ear. I was only next to her! She didn't need to shout so loud! But true to her words, Monteriggioni was even closer then it was before- the cylinders and cuboids easily identifiable by this distance. But it had me wondering if I had really good eyesight or something- because Claudia hadn't seen it until now, and I had seen it over ten minutes ago. Maybe she was just short sighted? But in either case, it didn't matter- because we were home, and that was all that mattered.

"So how is my favourite Nipote and Nipote?"

I blushed as the exuberant Mario engaged us both in a massive bear hug. I was hooked on the thought that he referred to me as his Niece. I felt honoured..and loved. On a side note, that was something I never understood in the Italian language. How could 'Nipote' mean both Nephew and Niece? Sure, there was Nipotina, which meant Granddaughter or little Niece, but it was weird. You would think it would be Nipota or something like that. But no- only the bit that came before changed. It was weird.

"Bene Zio."

I nodded my assent, smiling in affirmation. Like I had said before, I missed the man I had adopted as my Uncle. Even if I hadn't realised it. I remembered that I had yet to thank him for the bow- the letter I had planned to write hadn't needed to be written- because I could just tell him thanks.

"Mario-"

He turned his head towards me in acknowledgement, and I smiled at him widely, wanting to do something to say thanks. He and his family had been so good to me- when I had done nothing for them in return. They even came to see me for my birthday (in Maria and Claudia's case,) and got me obviously handcrafted bow. It was more then I was used to receiving. Hell, it was more attention then I was used to receiving.

"Grazie per il mio presente di compleanno"

"No, grazie, Isabella."

For what? What had I done? All I had done was trained as an Assassin..and been an unexpected house guest. I hadn't contributed any money or done anything even regarding the family that warranted me being thanked for. So what was he thanking me for? I was so confused. I voiced my confusion, Ezio having a similar expression. I would've laughed if I wasn't so confused myself.

"Non importa- lo scoprirai alla fine."

"Well that's not ominous at all"

I quipped, gravitating closer to Ezio. He wrapped his arm around me- there was no point in hiding the relationship since Mario (who I was convinced was psychic) already knew about our relationship. We had yet to mention it to Maria or Claudia- but I suspected the former had an inkling. I really did wear my heart on my sleeve. Ezio chuckled, as did Mario, but Mario asked another question before we got a chance to interrogate him more.

"Anyway- how long are you staying for?"

I looked to Ezio. That was a good question. In the rough idea of the plan we had gone through, we would stay for two or so days, as to let our horses recover. We couldn't stay too long- the boat was set to leave and we had to be in Forli for then. Unless we risked missing it, but me and Ezio weren't planning on it. I had excellent time management- so that we had a few days in each city, and still had a two day wait for the boat in Forli, so that we had time to breathe and didn't have to sprint there.

"Two days- we leave on the 25th"

Mario nodded, deep in thought. He gestured to the Villa and we followed him. I admit I was worried about what he was thinking- usually it meant bad things for me. Not bad things, admittedly, but things I don't particularly enjoy. Or aren't going to look forward to. Time will tell I suppose- and if there was one thing I wasn't particularly good at- it was waiting. Case in point- waiting to be allowed off of bed rest.

"I hope you do not think of me as too forward- I took the opportunity to move what little you left Isa into Ezio's room."

I blushed as red as Rudolph's nose- and Ezio started coughing harshly, his skin looking uncharacteristically pale. Mario continued walking, chuckling to himself. I looked towards Ezio, and whisper-murmured:

"Revenge?"

"Revenge." He confirmed, as he kissed me on my still red cheek. Mario would learn not to tease the dual might of Ezio Auditore da Firenze and Isabella Elizabeth Allesi.

Translations

Mi prenda casa, al luogo io appartengo - Take me home, to the place I belong

Primo giorno – Day 1

Mi dispiace. Grazie per aver dato da mangiare alla mia famiglia. Sono grato. Riposare in pace - I'm sorry. Thank you for feeding my family. I'm grateful. Rest in peace

Caro - Darling

Molto bene, grazie. - Very Good, thank you.

Nipote – Niece/Nephew

Bene Zio – Good, Uncle.

Grazie per il mio presente di compleanno – Thank you for my birthday present.

No, grazie Isabella. - No, thank you, Isabella.

Non importa- lo scoprirai alla fine. - No matter- you will find out eventually.

Author's Note

I FINALLY GOT RED DEAD REDEMPTION TWO. :D I LOVE IT.

Fangirling out of the way, sorry for this chapter being so late. Had about four tests this week, one I still haven't sat, so I've been revising crazily. I don't like failing- but I ended up failing the maths one..fun.

Anyways, I'm leaving this AN short because I'm knackered from playing football, and it's currently 22:42PM and I'm getting up at 6:30 tomorrow. Thanks for everyone who has either favourited, followed, or reviewed this story! It helps me know that you guys like reading, and that I'm not going to AU'ee.

Many thanks,

~Cait