Amira sat bolt upright, a cry dying on her lips and her chest pounding in fear. She gasped for air, raising a shaking hand to her face as she brushed back her tangled hair. Altaїr had sat up and was watching her curiously, a frown pulling at his lips and creases appearing on his forehead.

"Are you alright?" he asked her quietly, his frown deepening when she visibly flinched at his touch. He lifted his hand from her shoulder and waited for her to respond. After a long moment, she drew in a final shuddering breath and looked at him, one hand running through her hair as she did so. The haunted look in her eyes chilled him, the pain and terror that he saw reflected there mirroring with the expressions his victims bore as he ended their lives.

Amira's eyes slid shut and she exhaled slowly. "Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Was it the dream again?"

Amira shook her head wordlessly and then froze mid motion. "No. Yes. It was, but it was different than before."

"How so?"

Altaїr saw her simply shake her head once more, "I don't want to talk about it."

He almost pressed her to continue, but the pain in her eyes warned him to stay his tongue. Gently, he rested a hand over hers, his large hand dwarfing hers beneath it. Amira smiled faintly when he lightly squeezed it and leaned into his side wearily.

"I just want to sleep without dreams of blood. Is that so much to ask?" she murmured. Altaїr pulled her tightly to his side and rested his chin on top of her head as she rested it against his collarbone.

"I'll have Sarah make something for you when we get back. I need to speak with her anyways." Altaїr said quietly.

Amira considered his words for a moment without really hearing them and then nodded slowly as her eyes slipped shut once more. The heat from her companion's body and the steady rhythm of his heart beneath her ear lulled her into oblivion once more. Altaїr glanced down at her with a faint smile, worry still clouding his eyes as he felt her breathing deepen and her body relax against his. Gently, he laid her on the ground and then stretched out beside her, not quite touching but not moving away from her either. He watched her for a moment longer, appreciating the peaceful expression that only appeared while she was asleep. Altaїr chuckled as she curled closer to him, her head shifting onto his shoulder for a moment before she nestled into his side. The assassin breathed in deeply, the scent of pine and a distant flower lingering in his mind as he drifted to sleep.

Gentle wafts of air awoke Amira several hours later. With a quiet groan, she opened her eyes and realized that she had fallen asleep on her partner's chest, and that the light breeze that ruffled across her arm originated from her companion. Careful not to disturb the slumbering assassin, Amira drew her arm back from where it had draped across Altaїr's chest and shoulder. Glancing down at him, she smiled at the way sleep erased all traces of the brusque assassin, leaving only a resting young male in his place. Amira brushed a hand lightly across his brow and pulled the blanket over him the rest of the way as she stood.

Altaїr's stallion snorted when she approached him, his warm brown eyes watching her curiously. His ears pricked forward in anticipation when she withdrew a carrot from her pack and offered it to him. Velvet lips brushed across her palm as he delicately accepted the treat and he munched contentedly as she scratched his neck, her fingers burying in the warm, silky mane. With a quiet sigh, Amira set to grooming the horse, her fingers gently untangling the knots in his mane and tail before she combed through them.

The soft rise and fall of someone's voice finally managed to penetrate Altaїr's sleeping mind and he glanced around curiously as he rose. Noting his partner's absence with some concern, he cast his gaze around their small camp until he spotted her standing near his mount. Altaїr could tell from the rise and fall of her voice that it was a song, but she sang too softly for him to hear the words clearly. His stallion's ears were pricked and one swiveled back towards her to listen, his brown eyes half lidded as she groomed him. With a grunt, Altaїr rose. He neatly folded the blankets and placed them back inside their respective packs before making his way over to his partner.

"Morning!" she greeted him with a cheerful smile and he nodded in response.

"Good morning."

His fingers rubbed under the stallion's forelock and the animal bumped his head gently against his owners arm. Altaїr smiled faintly and gave the stallion one last scratch before walking back to his pack to grab their breakfast. Amira finished brushing out the last of the snarls in the stallion's tail and wandered to where Altaїr was patiently waiting. Wordlessly, he handed her one of the bundles that Malik had given them and the pair ate in silence.

"How far are we from Masyaf? My ability to judge distance has never been all that great I'm afraid."

Altaїr chuckled, "We should be within a day's ride to the keep. We'll stay another night on the road and arrive tomorrow morning most likely."

Amira nodded and the two cleaned up their mess before starting out once more. Amira sat behind her partner and rested her cheek against his broad back, her fingers laced around his waist. In a way, she was glad that Altaїr wasn't much of a conversationalist, but at the same time, riding in silence for hours on end quickly became dull. As they drew closer to their destination, Altaїr noticed quickly darkening clouds forming overhead and frowned. He felt Amira's grip tighten around his waist and felt her press tightly against his back as he spurred their mount on at a gallop.

The wind began picking up and coupled with their pace, both their hoods were swept back from their faces. Winds ruffled through Altaїr's shaggy hair and whipped Amira's longer locks in a stream behind her. Amira noticed that the bright sunlight was quickly fading away to be replaced by a darker, stormy gloom.

"Altaїr, where are we going?" she shouted over the clatter of hooves as they suddenly veered off the main path and galloped into the desert.

"It's a shortcut to one of the villages nearby. There's a storm coming in quickly and we don't want to be caught in it!" he shouted over his shoulder before urging the horse on.

Within moments, the roofs of a sizeable village had come into view and the stallion nimbly picked his way down the rocky slope. Altaїr drew back the reins and the lathered stallion pulled up slowly, his sides heaving from the extended gallop after a long day without rest. Altaїr gently rested a hand on the stallion's damp neck and murmured to him quietly as they approached a stable. Amira slid from the horse's back when they stopped and Altaїr followed suit. He fished out several coins which he tossed to the stable hand that had run out at their arrival.

"Make sure he's properly cared for. He's had a hard run today." The young boy nodded in understanding and quickly led their mount into the stables.

"How do you know he'll take care of him?" Amira asked quietly.

"This town is supported by Masyaf. Anyone in this town will recognize those coins and know that we are from there."

"Ah."

Altaїr led her to a small but cozy looking inn. Rain had begun to fall in fat droplets and Amira raised her hood once more to keep her hair from becoming drenched, smiling when she noticed Altaїr doing the same. The proprietor of the inn was a barrel chested man with a booming voice, his dark eyes appraising the damp pair before either could speak.

"Do you have any availabilities for the night?" Altaїr asked and the man glanced behind him at a board with pegs.

"Aye, we've got one room left. Will that do for ya? A dinner and morning meal are included in the fee should you like it."

Altaїr glanced at her uncertainly and she shrugged minutely. "That should work fine, we'll make do. Thank you." The man nodded at Altaїr's response and handed him one of the keys that hung one the board.

"Up the stairs, take a left and it'll be the last door on the right. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything, hear?"

Altaїr nodded and ushered Amira up the stairs, his arm lingering around her waist for longer than she would have expected as they walked away. Once they were out of earshot, he heaved a sigh and his shoulders relaxed. Amira frowned as she glanced up at him, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"That man…he, he was…nevermind." Altaїr shook his head dismissively and Amira shrugged.

They reached the room and Altaїr slipped the key into the lock, nudging the door open with one foot and gesturing for Amira to go in.

"Such a gentleman." She teased and was rewarded with a faint flush of red. She laughed and stepped into the room, Altaїr following after and closed the door behind them.

The room was small, but what it lacked for in size it made up for in comfort. Despite whatever misgivings the other assassin had about the owner, Amira couldn't complain about the softness of the bed or the fact that they were inside with no rain dripping down on them. At the last thought though, her eyes widened and she glanced at her companion's broad back.

'There's only one bed…which I don't really care about, but it's a rather small bed…it just means sleeping quarters will be cozy to say the least.'

Altaїr noticed her gaze on him and raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason to be studying me with such an intense look?"

'Several actually, but that's beside the point…' she thought, her eyes tracing the broad planes of his chest and then shook her head with a faint smile. "Sorry, spaced out there for a minute."

Altaїr shrugged and then glanced at the bed she sat on. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and she grinned impishly. "The bed's really rather comfortable. Why don't you take a load off and see for yourself?"

"I'm fine where I am, thank you." He said coolly and Amira rolled her eyes. Before he could move backwards, Amira lunged forward and caught the front of his robes.

"Stop being so proper, would you?" She said in exasperation and with a hard yank, she sent him tumbling forward where he sprawled gracelessly across the bed beside her.

He rolled onto his back and cast a baleful glare at her, to which she grinned once more. "Comfy, isn't it? It'll be nice to sleep on something other than the ground again, don't you agree?"

"I'm sure it will be." He replied somewhat stiffly and Amira frowned.

"Don't even say it. You're going to suck it up and sleep here too, so you can just deal with it, Altaїr." Amira said in a firm voice and saw him glance away.

"Are we honestly back to the whole Abbas issue?" she demanded, irritation bubbling up inside her when he refused to meet her eyes. "Men. I can't believe you sometimes!" she snapped as she rose suddenly.

Without thinking, his hands shot out and caught hers, holding them tightly in a vice grip as he rose. She struggled against his snug hold and then froze as he pulled her against him, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace. Despite her wishes otherwise, Amira found herself relaxing against him.

"I'm sorry."

Amira looked up at him in surprise, "You're sorry?"

"Yes. I don't mean to anger you Amira, truly I don't. But you must understand how this world works compared to yours. In this time, a man and woman who are not married do not…do such things."

"Really?" she asked, rebuke plain in her voice. "So why has it been okay for us to sleep side by side every night during this mission? Why is it an issue now?"

She watched Altaїr as he tried to think of an answer and then sighed. "Is it simply because we're closer to Masyaf?"

"I don't know to be honest…Perhaps that is the reason though." He said softly and Amira rolled her eyes before stepping back from him.

Turning to pace the room, she spoke. "Altaїr, I don't care if we're in the keep of Masyaf, the outskirts, or some village that is supported by it. Sometimes, compromises have to be made. And frankly, I don't care if it's improper. If people feel like calling me a whore, then so be it. I'll just make sure to beat every one of the within an inch of their life the moment I find out who they are."

"You've made that perfectly clear. However, unmarried women do not share beds with men."

Amira rolled her eyes, "Some of them do" she muttered sardonically before raising her voice to normal tones, "Altaїr, be sensible for once. You're as exhausted as I am and I'm sure you don't relish the idea of sleeping on a cold hard floor when there's a perfectly decent bed that you could be sleeping on. Who's going to see us in order to question us on it?" she asked quietly and saw his tense shoulders relax slightly.

"You may be correct. Or perhaps I'm just too tired to see the holes in your argument…" he muttered before settling back on the bed. Amira perched beside him and eyed him appraisingly.

'It seems as though he gave up on that too quickly…does he really mind, or is he just pretending that it does?' she found herself wondering and then shrugged mentally, 'I suppose it doesn't really matter either way.'

-The next morning—

The next morning came with a crack of thunder that jerked both assassins awake with a start. Altaїr sighed when he heard the pounding rain outside, and Amira's lips pulled in a resigned pout.

"Well, there go our travel plans for today I'm guessing…"

"Unless it lets up in the next few hours, you would be correct." Altaїr replied with a shake of his head.

Amira stretched beside him and retreated back into a curl. She smiled at him sweetly and he returned the smile briefly before rising. Altaїr shrugged his robe on and began buckling on his various weapons. Amira groaned and reluctantly rose as well, snagging her robes from the floor beside the bed and slipped into them. As she placed her blade on her wrist, she glanced over her shoulder at her partner's broad back.

"Hey, out of curiosity, what day is it?"

Altaїr glanced at her and raised an eyebrow before telling her the date.

Amira hummed with a faint smile, "That's what I thought."

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. I just have a hard time keeping track of the date here is all."

Altaїr's eyes narrowed as he studied her for a brief moment before he turned his attention back to his boots. Amira chuckled quietly to herself and turned her attention back to getting ready to head downstairs for breakfast. She spared a glance at her bag and smiled, her grey eyes dancing with secret amusement.

The pair made their way downstairs and shared a small breakfast. Altaїr cast an annoyed look towards the door where the sound of quickly dripping water could be heard. He shook his head and bit into the rustic bread and cheese provided. Amira watched her partner eat, noting the look of displeasure that had washed across his face and wondered why the rain had him so displeased.

"Well, anything you would like to do today to pass the time?"

"…" Altaїr's blank look clearly stated that he hadn't considered that far ahead yet and Amira shrugged with a smile.

"Just wondering. I'm sure you'll figure out something that'll keep you entertained."

Altaїr looked up at her in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"

"I've got a few things that I've got to do today as long as we're staying in town." She told him with a secretive smile.

With that, she pushed back from the table and rose, throwing him a grin before turning to make her way towards the owner of the inn. She spoke to him in a low undertone for several long minutes before they appeared to reach some sort of agreement. The confusion that had creased the man's brow quickly faded when he realized what she was asking for, and a broad grin split his face. Altaїr watched her duck out of the room and slip out the main door, her hood pulled tight over her head as she danced out of the rainspouts path.

Altaїr waited for her to return for almost an hour before growing bored and deciding to head back up to the shared room. The next several hours passed in relative silence as he methodically cleaned and sharpened each of his blades, making sure each edge was honed to razor sharpness. The rasp of whetstone over the iron resounded throughout the small room as long, steady strokes returned each blade to its original keenness. Altaїr felt himself drop increasingly closer to a hypnotic state where he was barely conscious of his actions, his hands carrying out the work while his mind drifted.

'Amira…' images of her cheerful smile, her golden hair, and her unusual eyes all flashed through his minds' eye as he worked. As he toiled, he thought of their relationship and the changes her presence had wrought in him. 'It's strange to feel so…connected with someone I have known for such a short time. Yet I cannot deny it, not any more than I can deny this growing attraction for her.' The pull he felt towards her was nearly magnetic, each time he tried to draw away and pull his emotions back inward, he found them struggling to be contained, forcing him to acknowledge them once more.

As his mind traveled down the path, it turned to the conversations he had had with Malik over the young woman. 'Malik believes that she feels more for me than I seem to think. I know she regards him as a brother of sorts, a type of confidante, but is that simply his interpretation of what he wishes to see, or the truth? Should I allow myself to be open to the dangers that a relationship would pose? Or, the better question would be, can I allow her name to be tarnished as a result of it?'

This last thought bothered him the most. Even though her claims of her time being different when it came to such bonds, he found himself shying away from the idea of it. His mind called up scenarios in which she was accosted as a result of their relationship, scenarios in which the men of Masyaf either shunned or treated her cruelly. Yet, even still, something inside him nagged incessantly.

'This woman is willing to face scorn and any other tribulation that your time can hand to her, because of you. Because she believes that there is something in you worth being connected to. Will you deny her love? Think of what that would do to her, a woman already so broken by her own past. It would destroy the person you know as Amira, and it would leave a shattered shell in its place.'

"I don't know her past!" he snapped in annoyance, his voice ringing in the small chamber.

'Does it matter? Would you care for her any more or less had she told you?'

Altaїr was silent for a long moment as he thought over the answer, his hand still passing over the blade's edge with steady rhythm. "No. No, I wouldn't."

'If you truly feel that you must know her past, ask her tonight. She trusts you; she just needs to know how far that trust can go. Whatever it is that she's hiding; it's dark enough to have caused her great pain.'

Altaїr nodded slowly, his inner debate ceasing as his hands slowed to a halt. He tested the last edge and blood welled up in a thin line across the pad of his thumb. Absently, he tucked each blade back into its appropriate sheath and headed back down the stairs to the common room. Noting that he had missed the midday meal and still had a few hours until night, he chose a seat in one of the darkened corners and nursed several cups until Amira reappeared finally.

Her face was flushed with some secret pleasure and her eyes sparkled as she sat down across from him. He frowned at her slightly as she stole the cup from his hand and took a sip. She grimaced and handed it back to him before rising to pour herself a cup of water and settling back down once more.

"Where have you been all day?" he asked curiously, taking another sip of his drink as he watched her over the rim of his cup.

"Oh here and there…" she waved her hand in a vague gesture, "You know, keeping myself entertained."

"No…I don't know. How exactly have you managed to 'keep yourself entertained'?" he inquired and bell-like laughter rang out.

"It's a secret, silly!" she teased, "and you wouldn't want to ruin my surprise, would you?"

"…"

Altaїr sighed before staring into his cup for a long moment. 'Alright, you win. Whatever happens with her and me…I cannot… I will not, lose her. Come what may.'

He came to his decision resolutely and set his cup down as he regarded her with a level gaze. Amira smiled at him brightly as she sipped at her water, one eyebrow raised slightly in mock teasing. Altaїr sighed mentally, 'I have the uneasy feeling that you won't be making this easy on me…'

For the next hour, he tried to coax out of her the details of where she had vanished to, but she stubbornly evaded each question. Finally, she laughed and shook her head. "Enough! I shan't be sharing my secrets just yet, so you'll just have to wait until later to find out! Be patient for goodness sake…"

Altaїr reluctantly conceded and allowed the topic to drift to less vexing topics. Her laughter coaxed a smile out of him at last and she grinned at her partner in amusement. Another hour of conversation and mutual silences passed before it was time for the next meal and they ate in companionable silence that was only occasionally interrupted by random questioning on her part.

When the meal had concluded, Amira vanished upstairs for several minutes before returning. She spoke to the innkeeper once more and he produced a skin of wine and two cups, winking at her as he did so. She laughed and shook her head in response before making her way back over to her partner. Amira paused in front of him and he looked up at her expectantly, curiosity written plainly across his face at this point.

Wordlessly, she pulled him upright and led him upstairs after her. An unusual fragrance permeated the narrow hallway, but he couldn't quite place what it belonged to, or where it originated from. Amira paused outside of their door before turning to face him with a shy smile. His eyebrows drew together in confusion as she stepped aside and ushered him inside. The scent was strongest inside the small room and seemed to be originating from a round, cloth covered object.

"Amira, what's going on?"

Her grey eyes met his and he was surprised to see a degree of vulnerability in them that he had never seen before. Wordlessly, she went over to her pack, feeling his eyes on her the entire time. After searching for a moment and rearranging the cloth, she turned back towards him and took his left hand in hers. She placed a small, cloth wrapped object in his palm and he glanced between it and his partner in confusion.

"Open it." She urged.

Still frowning slightly, he unwound the soft cloth that had been wrapped tightly around the object. Lying nested in the center of the folds was a pendant on a simple chain.

"Why…?" his confused eyes met hers and she smiled slightly.

"Happy 24th birthday, Altaїr."

A/N: Happy holidays! I meant to have this up yesterday, but the power at my house seemed to have other plans for that…But now that that's been fixed, my internet is working again! I wanted to do something sweet that reflected a bit of gift giving, and what better way than through a birthday? Who remembers Amira buying something in the market place when Altaїr wasn't looking? And a little bit of self-introspection always helps to move a character along! I know the dates are probably off since I didn't bother looking up what his actual birthdate was (you'll have to forgive my laziness…and lack of internet in order to look up said information) but since she's been there for almost 6 months and arrived in late summer…it had to be coming up at some time. I also ask you forgive my lack of seasonal knowledge for the area, Google wasn't too helpful on what it might have been like back then weather-wise, so I did my best with what was provided. Anyways, to those of you who are still hanging in there and reading this creation despite my busy schedule and irregular updates, thank you so, so much. You are the best holiday gift a writer could ask for (other than a publishing deal, which would mean I would have to finish my novel first…It'll get done someday, I promise.). Enough rambling though, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and it'll be continued in the next part that you should see here in a day or so (for reals! It's seriously almost done, I swear!), so hang tight! Much love to all of you during this season and I hope you're all having a wonderful time bonding with your respective families!