Things weren't going according to plan.
After receiving letters from both La Volpe and Machiavelli, complaining about each other constantly, Ezio had had enough. He called them both to the Tiber Island Hideout, not informing either one of them that the other was coming as well.
He had hoped to make the both men sit down and have a normal peaceful discussion which would end with La Volpe realizing Machiavelli was not a traitor and giving his word that he would ask his spies not to follow the young politician.
Instead his plan backfired miserably. The minute La Volpe saw Machiavelli enter the room, he stood up, making his chair fly backwards and lunged at him. Machiavelli moved away, but La Volpe pointed a finger at him and accused him of informing the Borgia about his thieves' activities.
"My men were beaten up when they tried to enter an agent's house to gather information." La Volpe screamed. "No one was supposed to be home, but when they broke in, a dozen guards were waiting to apprehend them."
"It's not my fault your men are inexperienced idiots!" Machiavelli refuted. "You have no proof that I was the one who gave them that information."
"Of course it was you!" La Volpe made a grab at Machiavelli and Ezio stepped in and pushed away the thief.
"La Volpe, you must calm down. We are men who can resolve our differences without tearing apart each other."
"Why do you keep protecting him?" La Volpe turned on him.
Ezio groaned and tried to think of any way he could divert this conversation to something else. He heard footsteps in the stairs and saw Claudia pulling up her hood and walking out with a determined gaze.
"Claudia!" He hurried to her. "Where are you going?"
Her hardened gaze softened when she saw him. "Oh, Ezio." She said and fumbled with her medicine pouch.
Ezio helped her strap it on. "Why are you wearing assassin robes? And where are you going?"
"Out." She replied, tugging on all her belts to make sure everything was strapped on tight.
"You're not going out." Ezio told her and his sister gave him the most furious gaze. She opened her mouth to argue, but he stopped her, knowing what she was going to say.
"I know I know. You're a grown woman who had every right to do whatever she wants." Ezio said. "But you're first and foremost my sister and secondly my recruit. I cannot let you out to do what you want to do without making sure you've acquired every skill necessary to survive in this world."
"I know how to fight." She said confidently.
"That's not all you need to know. Come on." He took her hand and led her into the room where La Volpe and Machiavelli were standing on opposite side of the rooms, grumbling.
"La Volpe." Ezio said, taking Claudia to him. "I need you to teach my sister some tricks."
"Like how not to trust anyone who claims to be one of us?" La Volpe threw a disgusted glance Machiavelli's way who scowled at the old thief.
"No, how to blend in, how to pickpocket, everything that you and the other assassins taught me." Ezio said.
"Bene." The thief said reluctantly. "What will you be doing?"
"Not sending his spies to keep an eye on me!" Machiavelli taunted.
"You're lucky I didn't tell them to do more!" La Volpe yelled.
Ezio heard more footsteps climbing down the stairs and sighed. Some of the recruits were training upstairs with the mercenaries and now all of them had left their training to find out where all the screaming was coming from.
Ezio wanted his recruits to respect their teachers, not see them screaming their heads off at each other. But there was little he could do now as the recruits peeped into the room. The mercenaries entered through the adjoining room and gathered in a small circle around them.
"All of you leave, now!" Ezio said.
Claudia turned to go, but Ezio held onto her. Claudia was hiding something from him and he guessed it had something to do with her deciding to become an assassin. There was no way he was going to let her disappear again without learning all that she needed to know about becoming an assassin. Even if she kept her secret, at least he would find solace in the fact that she could defend herself and survive.
"No, let everyone know about this traitor!" La Volpe screamed.
Ezio put a hand on the thief's shoulder and pressed down until he looked at him. "La Volpe, go outside and teach my sister. Now!"
La Volpe looked like he wanted to argue, but Ezio glared at him and then turned to Machiavelli. "You can leave as well. I understand you were to leave for Firenze? I'll be heading out to the Campagna district to find a Borgia tower." Ezio said. "Once I free it from Borgia influence, the traders will be able to bring in medicine and weapons, things Bartoloemeo and his men desperately need."
The silence grew thicker in the room and Ezio was glad everyone respected him enough to take his orders.
"All of you return to your tasks." He said. "And I don't want to hear any of you arguing every again. We are a team and in order to defeat our enemies, we must stand as one. Capisce?"
Everyone muttered in agreement and the group of recruits started to disperse while La Volpe left with Claudia to go and train her. Machiavelli rolled his eyes at the thief, but didn't say anything and Ezio finally heaved a sigh of relief.
He grabbed a sword from the table and sheathed it in his belt.
Today was going to be a long day.
*/*/*/*/*/*
He had entered the Campagna district and the lush green hills and fragrant flowers, brightened up his mood. He was glad that the cold winters were finally giving way to warm weather so that he could enjoy the cool breeze on his face rather than be drenched in icy cold rain.
Ezio slowed down his horse, taking in the simplicity of this district. There were no crowds here, no stall owners calling out to their customers to buy their goods and definitely no Machiavelli and La Volpe arguing with each other.
He pushed them away from his thoughts and concentrated on relishing the tranquility that encompassed the area around him. He heard the laughter of children as they ran past him and the scolding of their parents to behave themselves.
Ezio let the horse graze as he looked towards the aqueducts, watching the water gush through them and fall in the center. One of them was in need of urgent maintenance and in order to get that done, he would first have to relieve this area of Borgia influence.
He gazed ahead at the tall tower that seemed to touch the clouds. Two guards were easily visible as they patrolled at the top. Ezio narrowed his gaze. He had to get closer to see how many guards were there so that he could plan his strategy.
He patted his horse who immediately pulled his mouth away from the grass and started to walk. Ezio was lost in his thoughts as to which strategy to employ when in the distance he heard a tinkling laugh- a familiar laugh.
He turned to see a couple sitting atop a small hill. They had a small white blanket laid out on which they sat beside a large basket that was open to reveal various fruits. The couple was sitting close to each other and enjoying themselves on this beautiful day.
Ezio was about to dismiss them when he noticed the woman's golden hair and bright red gown. He stopped the horse suddenly and his eyes widened when he saw her. She was laughing again at something the man had said and it ate away at him that someone else was making her laugh- someone that wasn't him.
Ezio got down from the horse and started to walk towards Lucrezia when he stopped himself. What was he doing? He had no right to confront her and demand to know who the man was. He should walk right back and continue on his mission.
Except he could not.
He made himself move behind a pillar nearest to them and saw that Lucrezia had changed since he had last seen her. The innocence in her blue eyes had been replaced with arrogance. Her hair no longer fell in soft curls but was straightened, making the strands look like golden threads. Her lips were bright red, making them look seductive and full.
She was dressed in a bright red dress with a high lacy collar. The golden belt at her waist accentuated her slim waist and curves. Her skin looked like marble against the dark colored dress and the yearning to touch her, returned.
The man she was sitting with put his hand on her thigh and Ezio felt bitter liquid gushing up his throat. He put a hand on the pillar to steady himself as his head felt light with the fury he was experiencing.
The man drew Lucrezia closer and whispered something which made her laugh again. Ezio's hand turned into a fist and he had to stop himself from punching the pillar and drawing attention to himself.
What had Machiavelli said? That she had taken on an actor as her lover. Was this him? Ezio could still only see the back of the man who was dressed in a turquoise shirt and sandy brown breeches. He had shoulder-length hair that looked as if it hadn't been washed in days.
What did Lucrezia see in such a shabby man? She was a Borgia; she could have anyone she wanted. The man's hand pushed up and stroked the curve of her waist. Ezio clenched his jaw tight, resisting the urge to walk over there and beat up the man who dared touch her.
His hand went up higher and he saw Lucrezia look down at his hand and then up at him with an eyebrow raised. The man said something and Lucrezia gave him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.
She looked away and Ezio pulled himself closer to the pillar. He had to know what they were talking about. He had to get closer.
Ezio was about to move from his hiding spot when he turned his head and saw the man putting a finger under Lucrezia's chin and making her face him. Lucrezia's lips parted and Ezio realized what her lover was about to do.
White spots appeared in his vision and picked up a rock near his feet and threw it at him. The rock hit the actor's shoulder and he yelped. Clutching his shoulder he turned around.
"Who did that?" He called.
Ezio saw two guards running up to them and realized in his excitement to see Lucrezia, he hadn't noticed his surroundings. He was near the Borgia tower, which meant there were more guards here than normal. Obviously Lucrezia wasn't going to picnic out in the open when all the citizens of Roma loathed the Borgia.
There were guards all around the area and Ezio realized that had he not hidden behind a pillar, he would have been easily found out. He pressed himself to the pillar and waited to see if the guards would come forward to investigate.
"Someone threw a rock at me!" The actor wailed.
"Calm down, caro." Lucrezia said and calling him that made Ezio's blood boil. "It's a small rock."
"It hurts!" he kept crying.
"We'll go and see who tried to hurt you." One of the guards said.
He peeked to see Lucrezia looking irritated. "There was a horse running by, maybe he accidentally kicked a stone and it hit you." She said. "We cannot arrest a horse!"
"We can kill it!" The guard suggested.
"Idiota!" Lucrezia screamed at him. "We are not going to kill innocent animals!"
Ezio smiled. Lucrezia hadn't changed all that much after all. He was worried that after wearing the colors of the Borgia perhaps she had taken on their characteristics too. But she seemed genuinely concerned for an animal rather than the beast of her lover. How he hated him!
"You can leave now." Lucrezia told the guards. "I'm sure it was just an accident."
The man turned and Ezio saw the scraggly beard and drooping moustache on his face. His eyes looked beady and he was much too thin. A small breeze would take him away. Lucrezia deserved someone better than him.
As the guards walked away, Lucrezia's companion turned back to her and put his hand over hers. Then he brushed away a lock of her hair and drew her closer.
Ezio looked all around him and saw plenty of rocks, but they were too large to throw at a distance. He saw a tree near him bearing apples and plucked one. Taking aim, he threw it at the man, hitting him on the back of his head.
"Ow!" He yelped and got up, dancing and clutching his head. "Che diavolo! Who is doing this?"
Lucrezia got up and crossed her arms. "Will you stop acting like a child?"
"Someone is doing this on purpose." The actor protested.
"Let us just leave." Lucrezia said, turning on her heels.
"It's not my fault." The man ran after her. "Why are you angry with me?"
Ezio grinned as he watched them both leave. He called to his horse and made sure none of the guards were keeping an eye on him. Fortunately, they were distracted when Lucrezia's lover made his way to them and complained.
Ezio mounted the horse and rode to the Borgia Tower, smiling widely. That chump deserved it! Lucrezia could do so much better than him. She deserved someone strong, someone who would protect her and never leave her. Someone who would always make her laugh, someone who was….
Not him.
Ezio swallowed the bitter lump and got down from his horse when he reached the high wall that separated the cliffs from the prohibited area where the Tower was. He scaled it and jumped across onto a roof of a house. He was about to jump down into the haystack, when he noticed something.
There were too many guards. The towers he had destroyed in the other areas had maybe a dozen guards that were easy to overcome. From where he was standing, he counted at least twenty guards pacing near the front gate. There were about ten near another gate in the side and a dozen brutes standing around the tower.
Ezio lowered onto the roof. His hands reached down to count his ammunition and knives and he realized he didn't have enough to take them all down. He could always call his recruits, but none of them were trained well enough yet to take on so many guards.
He saw the captain of guards walk over to a group. "Have you seen the Assassino, yet?"
"No, signore." One of them replied.
"Keep an eye out for him. I've received information that he'll try to attack us today." The captain said and then walked away, followed by five brutes.
Ezio put down his head again as frantic thoughts rushed in. He was being expected. There was a traitor in the Order who had given out that information. La Volpe was right!
He heard the sounds of a carriage and then voices of men. He risked a peek again and saw one of the guards put a bag and trunk inside the carriage. There was a man behind him- dressed in a red cape, a brown striped shirt and breeches. On his head he wore a red beret over his blonde hair.
Ezio was struck with surprise when he recognized the man.
Leonardo da Vinci!