*I apologize for the inconveniences and the basic spelling errors because I typed this up on a small touch screen tablet without an actual keyboard. As you see, sometimes working with a touch screen keyboard: "but" turns to "bit" and "his" turns to "hos" *facepalm* oh it burns. I even found a typo where I accidentally typed "house" when it was supposed to be "horse" XD I laughed so hard*
Chapter Twenty- One
"This does not feel like the way to Acre," the girl had said clinging on by my waist as the horse was at a trot upon the exposed mountainous region. Turning my head to the left I witnessed the wrinkles belonging the open crystal lake off the cliff edge. We rounded a corner passing through a stone archway along the path and a wooden hurdle that greeted us. The girl had squeezed as the horse took off at a nice canter to overcome the jump. Her cheek warm against the spine of my back I felt her jaw move as she mumbled again. I had released a long restrained sigh taking note of Altair's uncanny behavior these last few hours of… "You plan to throw me over the edge I presume?" this girl had no ends of meaning to cease the chatter. I turned gazing over my shoulder bringing my horse to a trot behind his horse even though I could have ridden alongside him.
"I would have no curiosities of doing so," I was subtle in my approach towards her gently displaying that I had other things on my mind preoccupying my concerns. "You will just have to follow us as we make our routinely stop," I chuckled when she had nothing else to say. Yes the road was longer than I had ever imagined following the sandy, bronze trail of dirt and the Masyaf grass kept green year round soothed me. Yet even the pleasures of home could not ease my disrupted emotions of a brief and bold action. Altair had carried himself into a silence unable to stir up any recollections of the attack. He was back to calculating again on that mindset that I could not tug him out in the open for. When the breeze had stretched on upon the stagnant village of Masyaf Altair pulled his horse to a rusty stop like door hinges then quickly dismounted his horse in pursuit of the fortress. The clanking of his metal flying through the gates with nothing else on his mind but checking in with Al Mualim. I had taken upon one side of my horse hopping down hearing the sounds of my buckles click into the yielding grass. I extended a hand to the girl of ash ridden hair clearing my throat. "Would you like some assistance?" I was quiet as a baby's breath when her frosted pupils drifted over to me.
She huffed, "no, why?" with that she jumped down without the anxiety of how far off the ground she was. At first she had wobbled by the force her weak knees could not carry but then steadied herself broadening the shoulders to recompose herself. I smiled triggering up memories of my first arrival to Masyaf with Kadar. It was of this shadow of sun's angle at a season just as this that I had missed his presence dearly. I looked down knowing that the soles of his boots were imprinted here once. It seemed but eons that I now stood in his spot perhaps just scratching the surface of his perspectives. "Show me your home," the girl's request a ghost of a voice shuddered me to my reality.
"Alright," I strolled on over to her offering my arm for an escort she took it indifferently smug by the line of her lip. I couldn't help but deliberately slacken in pace with her at my side. But she proved herself tough pressing the pace of my own stride until it was at the usual pace I had taken. Even up the slopes her existence was no more but as if she were one of my lose sleeves of my tunic. The people began to comment on our entrance stealthily managing to surround us like a bridal gown train the length extended. I had to excuse my brothers from their eager tones to hear of my story first hand. Hadn't I known what the civilians dire desires were to pull at my robes to the side I'd have given them coins to draw them off my back. They began to seize the girl by her trails of her extended clothing firing the questions rampantly. I hissed at each one of their touch grumbling low I latched onto her shoulders whipping her in front of me guiding her then up the final slope. By the time we arrived at the fortress gate the people had finally given us some peace retreating back to their market stands.
"A long time wouldn't you agree?" a voice rang in my ears from dragging darkness. The silhouette hidden under the fortress walls came slithering out of his hole. I placed the girl in front of me eyes reduced to slits. The girl wanting to step forward crumbled back into me the top of her head just resting below my chin. Now he came into some illumination of a setting sun arms tightly crossed robes distilled in the wind.
"Careful Abbas there is some creature living on your face," the nails digging into the poor girl's riddled skin. He laughed at my response stroking with leather fingers through the coarse, ebony, mangled facial hair that overwhelmed most of his figure now. He had the prosperous signs of aging quickly the way his robes still the fresh white, still the hardened work of boots that needed to be broken in. The hair of the corner of his lips in wisps of ghost white, the crinkles in his deep eye sockets hardened.
"And who is this?" he pointed the girl that had locked her name away. In response she turned her head slightly as if looking right at him with her lips pursed. "Did he convince you to take a prize back to Masyaf Natasha?" he cackled. My face turned a cheery hue, "did he claim you little girl?" he taunted.
"That's enough Abbas," I intervened rejecting his crude banter proceeding past him into the fighting arena. His hunger for attention grew like the shadows shifting into evening. Slowly creeping behind you at all times, stretching in all corners of a room engulfing all in a blackness of years of envy. My brothers stared at my sudden arrival greeting me in some warm handshake—others in cold tongue. But for the most part I had grown accustomed to their specific greetings and even the ones with cold tongues had softened into nods and dents in their straight-lined mouth. I guided the girl up the shallow stone steps by the shoulders still. She commented about the flags flapping though it was just a wave of wind that had caused them to murmur. Now inside the desolate, stone fortress walking down the hallway that led to the grand stairs and garden I paused.
"What? Why are we stopping?" the girl furrowed her eyebrows in frustration dying to move forward but it was simple to just haul her back before me.
I breathed, "I want you to wait here," I insisted lightly not too keen on letting the guards here that were statues. I wasn't even sure if she could even detect them on how silent they composed themselves.
"You're just going to leave me here and not come back," she said gravely. I rolled my eyes shaking my head removing my hands from her shoulder. I stepped in front of her standing on the first step of the staircase sighing once more.
"Just wait here and I will come back," I proposed, "besides I'm not going so far anyway," I had cleared all said traces of her to reply immediately turning around and walking up the stairs. Altair was standing in the Assassin emblem etched on the floor as I approached Al Mualim. Something about this arrival transitioned into murky content. Al Mualim faced us now peering down at his children he lifted his chin.
"Come Natasha," he motioned me to come forth even closer to his desk, "what news of the merchant king?"
"We have done as you asked," Altair growled cutting in my opportunity to talk about our progress with Al Mualim. "Each man I have slain have said cryptic words to me. Each time I come back asking for answers do you spin them around in circles," his voice was rising in an unknown fury that I thought I had experienced but not really I suppose.
Al Mualim scoffed, "your mind is elsewhere I see, speak your mind now," he invited. I closed my eyes under my hood knowing that the ground was screaming. Altair's control of the stage was unprecedented grip that choked his viewers sometimes in fear, sometimes in intrigue. Altair took it as his gateway to aggression curling his fingers into a fist at his side.
"You have not told me what binds these men together and you say the answer will be given when no longer asked. Well I no longer ask, I demand you to tell me what binds these men together." Al Mualim went ballistic reaching for Altair's upgraded sword laying on his desk defensively gripping the hilt of the sword.
"Tread carefully my boy, I do not like your tone," Al Mualim narrowed his eyes.
"And I do not like your deception. You send us out on missions, we do your dark deeds and killing. You will be straight with me now if you want these men to fall dead where they stand." Altair did not move when Al Mualim fumed from behind his desk with the sword in his hand.
"Altair, where are you trying to go with this?" I reached for his forearm but he slapped my hand from him. It gave me a sting but nothing more than a bruised feeling in my chest.
"I gave you the chance to redeem your lost honor—" Al Mualim defended but was cut.
"Not lost—taken! And then you expect me to retrieve it like some damn dog!" Altair went livid with his shoulders tensed, his fingers cramped.
Al Mualim, "it seems that I need to find another… Quite a shame really, you proved so much progress!" he lifted the sword with convection.
My lips quivering, "you wouldn't do it!" Al Mualim stared at me now. "If you really wanted to kill him… you would have already done it by now," I lifted my gaze to him now that Al Mualim had cooled down. He grumbled setting the sword down with a clamor on his desk returning behind it to stare out the window. His faded black robes appeared gray and tattered at the seams.
"And how did you know I would not kill him," he turned around scanning me intentionally spreading more fine arrows around on his desk scattered with parchment paper. Two palms into the wood he leaned forward staring at me waiting for an answer.
"Because there is no one else like him that can get the task done," the first time in a long time Altair blinked granting me barely a nod then fixing his hard look on the Master. Al Mualim tilted his head back at such sight he attempted to laugh if off again. "Tell us how these men are connected and what makes it valuable that we set out and kill them." Al Mualim lowered his head as if mumbling things to himself before answering.
"This men are connected by a blood oath but much different from our own…"
"Who are they?" Altair punctuated.
"Templars," Al Mualim said drily. This made me lean on the tips of my toes in rage. Not only were we killing what I thought were connections and ties to Templars, but it started to become clear that we were killing actual Templars with connections close to Robert de Sable. Al Mualim's eyes drifted on to me in curiosity in his aged eyes. "This bothers you Natasha?"
"No," I struck back though my voice had gone hoarse dropping all assurance of being fine.
"But these are leaders, and commanders of cities…" Altair insisted upon.
"All of them pledge allegiance to his cause," Al Mualim added running a hand over a golden egg-shaped case fashioned on his desk. Following the way he caressed the object until my eyes wondered to his face the intense good eye pried me of my security. My eyes flickered to the pigeons fidgeting in the cage then back at Altair for a brief moment.
"What do these men want?" he asked.
"Conquest and power of course so they must be extinguished. They seek the holy land not in the name of God but for themselves," Al Mualim paced.
"What of Richard?" Altair asked.
"And Saladin?" I pitched in breath could have been ice.
"Anyone who oppose the Templars will be destroyed. But be sure that once we wipe them out there will be no opposition left for the Assassins," Al Mualim said running dry fingers along the golden shell case with a sense of fondness over it. I had no particular liking for him doing so talking about things that seemed to intervene within themselves.
"Why would you hide the truth from us then?" my voice grew hollow.
"That you might piece the puzzle yourself," stated Al Mualim. I heaved a breath through my nostrils tapping my thigh with a finger irritably. "Knowledge proceeds action, therefore learning is more valuable than information handed down like rags. Besides," his voice deepened on the look he casted to Altair, "your action had not inspired much confidence…"
"I see…" Altair whispered. Yet I could not managed to see, let along breathe clearly. How was I so unsure of myself that these men were really Templars? That they were considered close contact to Robert de Sable? I could have smothered an answer right out their dying breath for his recent location.
"Your mission has not changed over the period you were both sent out to do this. Merely it is the contexts in which you chase after has," the voice altered to something soft like smudges of pastel, oil paintings.
"So you hand us the knowledge so that we may better understand them…" Altair was thinking to the side as he said so. There was no understanding that I wanted to possibly gain to reason with the interactions with Templars. They were all what they were… conniving and deceitful—
"Is that all that you came for?" Al Mualim began to close the matter with his hands hiding within the drape of his sleeves.
"One last thing," I acted upon that even Al Mualim had not suspected I would say anything more on the matter as I had done previous visits to him. "Malik brought something to you on the day of the attack. Kadar mentioned of treasure," I cleared my throat, "before his departure. And Robert seemed eager to behold it; so what was it?" Al Mualim pricked the tip of the golden shell as if assuring himself that it had not vanished from his desk.
"In time all will become clear to you," was all that he would give to me. "Instead view it upon the comfort of that the treasure is not in their hands but in ours," he stared at the object with a mild obsession I would depict it so.
"If this is what you desire," I was lured in by the treasure somehow my mind was slipping elsewhere.
Al Mualim smirked, "it is as you earned another rank and you are restored another rank. I leave it to you both to head out of Masyaf," with that the doors of the pigeon cage were opened and a bird fluttered away out the window. Al Mualim took this moment to departure himself discretely from the scene exiting behind his desk carrying the treasure along with him tucked under his robes. As I approached Al Mualim's desk to retrieve the arrows Altair stopped me by flinging the arrows off the table.
I shot him a look, "what was the purpose for that?" Yet stubborn he was in his efforts he broke the silence at last with me sucking in a sufficient amount of air he brought out a piece of folded up parchment paper from his pouch.
"I've been having this idea…" he led me on unfolding the paper with his rough hands. I myself leaning into the hand written work made it a conscious battle to figure out what his penmanship expressed. "I want the assassination list over by the summer of next year," he concluded. My eyes went round like full moons figuring that, that was pushing our limits within time and according to seasons. "As far as I'm concerned," his eyes protected by his hood examining his upgraded sword, "I want this done and gone just as you do. I am sick of retrieving something that shouldn't have been taken from me," when I did not answer he stole a glance at me. "Sarraf?" he rang. I merely crouched collecting the arrows off the ground quietly into both hands. Bent over his shadow stretched out over me while gathering the last arrow in my hand I froze and sighed. I stood up and rotated around to find him just behind me like my shadow.
"What?" I had liked him this close to me but I had not envisioned a place such as this. He reached around my waist for the last throwing knife and parchment. "What?" I had repeated. The sound of the knife slipping into his belt was all that kept us from such silence.
"A deal then?" his tone lightened by the rays hitting the banners through the window.
"A deal of what?"
"Have you not been insightful this entire time? Or has your mind been elsewhere?" before I could object to such accusation he chopped in, "to get these assassinations done by the arrival of summer?"
"Three seasons? You expect to kill the rest of them in that little time?" his plans were a child's dream to achieve shaking my head at the possibility.
"Where has your spirit left you so barren?" he remained cool. He seems he wants to forget everything that happened... I, in some regards wish for it to be done and over with too.
"Never thought you would see me of having anything worth of your time," I crossed my arms rolling my eyes. His lips parted befuddled by my behavior then sewn them back shut tipping his head to the side. "I just can't wrap myself around you long enough to try and understand you," I continued hints of my spicy attitude coming alive.
"What have I done to make you so cruel towards me?" The sentence had set me off cracking the last bit of patience I had with him. What have I done to be unfair to him? What have I done? The list remained blank as blank as the white robes I was restricted to wearing. Blank as the reasons within our trials given to us.
"I'm done," was all that I managed to say without bursting into angry tears bumping past him he extended his touch to my wrist spinning me around to him before I would walk down the stairs. The amber eyes radiant underneath the hood I yanked my wrist through his hand. "Enough," I glowered pacing back around down the stairs in heavy steps. The guards would not dare look at me as if so much I would catch them I would might as well have their heads for it. Of course this was just what it was like when I was overwhelmed with a mixing pot of emotions I became blind in what I thought destined to be. Perhaps Altair had mistakenly reminded me of a place, a role to play, a dream shown once. Perhaps it was the possibility of a future grew bleak and maybe that's what was blinding me by the stinging tears.
The girl with a name not attained waited at the bottom of the steps. Her light colored hair all over and around her shoulders and in strings covering parts of her face she said nothing when I made it to her. "See," I looked at her, "I would come back for you," I murmured passing her on the stairs. She stood from her resting place her cheeks paler than usual.
"Acre now?" she insisted upon. I shook my head in agreement but I would have much rather made way to Jerusalem. I offered my arm to her and she declined this time. "I know my way around," she bounced to her feet pranced around it would seem down the long hallway. I released a chuckle beneath my lips charmed by her attitudes of the sort. Still she has failed to give me her name and why Acre is important to get her there. I just wonder if—Abruptly it came where Altair had bumped into my side nearly making me topple off the last step in the staircase. I furrowed my brows slightly saddened but moreover heated at his immaturity on some manners. "Aren't you coming along now?" the girl called to me after Altair passed her out the doorway to the fighting arena.
"Yes," I had to remind myself that he was not my main priority at this point in time or ever would be. I jogged towards her with my swords hitting the side of my boots when I had made it outside into the orange light. She stood by the gate crossing her arms patiently waiting while the civilians exited the arena. Altair finished practicing in the ring with a weary novice how had no skills matched to his yet. The girl tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention.
"You should challenge him," she noted dipping her head a lost gaze foxed at the arena where Altair cursed mildly under his breath sheathing his sword. "From what I can tell you are the closet thing he'll have trouble with," she leaned back against the wall tucking under shadow's wings.
I laughed the possibility off, "no, it does not seem like my place and time to challenge him," though my mind drifted it wouldn't be so bad if I "accidentally" struck him slightly with one of my blades. As I checked turning around Altair had beaten the gate open to get out of the arena. He strolled up to us insisting upon getting the horses ready for travel. I took the girl with me down the slopes escorting her through the sleepy village of Masyaf probably for the first and last time. "Can't you give me a nickname at least to call you by before we take you to Acre for whatever reason?" Now at the stables I tightened the stirrups once more to my saddle. She started to whistle making the horse flick his ears back turning his head to the side.
"Call me Song for now," she whispered almost to the point where I could not hear it. O nodded my head slowly patting the horse's neck brushing the dark mane out of the way with my fingers like a comb.
"I never heard of such a name as that. Any reason behind it?" I double checked to ensure that I had everything I needed packed onto the horse.
"I enjoy singing," she shrugged stepping up next to me while I helped her get on the horse. I hopped on grabbing the reins then clicked for my horse to turn around. We waited for Altair by the trail as my horse flicked flies off his rear with his tail. Altair's white horse came around the corner at last in a trot up to mine. We shared a look before ordering our horses to trot side by side.
"I'll try but no promises," I muttered bitterly.
"Fine," he sounded short of breath. Our horses went to a trot then to a canter down the trail as if it were a race. We passed the crumbling silver arch pillars signifying our leave from Masyaf. The wind whipped my hair back feeling the warm dying sun's radiance traveling deeper through the Kingdom. Eventually when it was around twilight and shadows gloom became so prominent we traveled by horse through what felt like a canyon. Tall mountain walls border each side of us in a dark blanket up ahead. Our horses only at a slow pace we became wary of what could have laid ahead. Just as the end was near a group of Templars peeked out from over the side in a patrol group. They fashioned themselves in a line at the end of the exit so that we could not pass. Taking the reins on my left hand, bowing my head low and using my right hand to keep hold of Song indicating to not say anything. Altair and I stopped our horses when the Templars did not move from their sorted line. "We seek passage through," Altair placed carefully only the lower section of his face visible to the Templars.
"Sorry that cannot happen," one said frowning hand to his sword.
"And why can we not get through?" Altair kept his tone emotionless but stern. The Templar walked around our horses very alerted until he circled around completely.
"I don't think you're scholars," he sneered seeing our weapons. "What kind of scholar has weapons?"
"You are right to be suspicious," I started, "we are not scholars, we are carriers and messengers that have business with William of Montferrat."
"Like what?" he jeered mocking at my status. "Why do you have a girl with you there? Say no more that you are not what you say.
"A messenger cannot be a woman?" I sounded sincere which made it all the worse. Altair's eyes flashed towards me as a warning.
"No," the man smiled, "but they can be an Assassin," he lunged for my horse with his sword quickly drawn slashing at my horse causing the horse to become startled nearly bucking Song and I off. This forth sprung the rest of the Templars into action with their swords and their screams dictated the silence into mercy. Altair ordered his horse to leap in front of my horse with his new sword he curved his sword down low and around in a crescent shape motion hacking a Templar running around on foot. I descended from my horse to the ground holding both swords in my hand already deflecting incoming menacing blows.
"Arrgh!" a Templar came charging at me with his two handed great sword. Being lean I dodged to the side making sure that I would not stray from my horse. This is just what I needed indeed, I thought critically to myself cutting horizontally through a torso and vertically straight down. Blood went spraying and limbs went hacking but the chain mail had been improved on their armor. Swaying back on my heels my horse jumped from behind me. I spun around to see what was going on. Song had taken the reins and from the looks of it the chances of her knowing how to control a large steed was pitiful.
"Careful!" I screeched.
"I would assume so," she retorted back. I huffed taken aback by her sass. Altair jumped off his horse sprinting through the jumbled groups of Templars with a sword in one and hos hidden blade with another. Then it came creeping so gently like shades of different colors changing before me, there was pain. The next I saw dazed I laid flat on my back watching the indigo orange sky. Someone had sliced behind my knee so that I was immobilized on the grass. A hefty Templar suited in plated heavy armor lurked over me.
The tip of his sword dangling before me as of teasing whether or not my life was worth the extra gold and sex. He spat on the ground next to me a bloodied pool of bright red because one of his teeth had been knocked out. He caressed the curve of my jaw with his sword then brought it down to kill me. I flung myself primarily using my upper body to roll myself put of the way. He cackled as I had hold of my sword defending myself with them he merely kicked them out of my hand. With the flat portion of his boot he slammed it down onto my throat. Oh the head throbs of a flashing red headache. I never remembered my vision this foggy blue blinking red over and over again. The sword came down and impaled me in my gut clean through creating an exit wound. He ripped out the sword triumphantly leaving me bleeding on the ground. Breathing brewed into stale and shallow I knew myself expired and gone. The last that I saw was a bloodied sky as my eyelids closed.
Desynchronized.
I felt myself a shock of life that the blood was still pulsing through my veins and arteries. Instinctively I lifted my head from a hard surface bit only whacked a screen glass curved over my head like a helmet. The glass slowly retreated I stared at a blank gray ceiling. I knew I should have been dead… Was this some sort of afterlife? I sat up like a neural impulse to find myself connected and tangled in tubes of lifelines. I had been hooked up to abundant wires and tubes from a hospital. A waste bag at my side and fluids pumping into my veins to keep me going. I observed my place finding it a barren icy mood of a room. I was about to rip out all the fluid tubes until I heard a door slide open on its own accord.
"That won't be necessary," a woman in a tight pencil black skirt sauntered over to me on this… table. Her blond hair on a bun wearing a crisp white shirt tucked in. A nametag that jiggled side to side as she walked imprinted the name: Stillman. "Don't panic, you're safe," her blue ocean eyes attempted to sooth me. The click of her heels stopped next to me at the side of the table. She clasped a clipboard closely to her chest periodically checking it then returned back at me. Is she a doctor of some sort? "I'm glad I got you out at last when I did," she ignored my bewildered expression as she attentively took one hand and unstrapped a Velcro band that measured blood pressure off my arm. "You are scheduled to go get some real sleep," I was still lost at what she was talking about. She sighed, "I'm sorry but I really must get going now," as she said that another door slid open which had frightened me. "Get some sleep Subject Fifteen."
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*scratches head quite literally* I hope you guys like the chapter anyway even though it's mainly dialogue and random subjects going on... (no pun intended) As you can tell I am fully aware when I have writer's constipation my sentence fluency can get very choppy and stops becoming smooth... -.- but I'm working hard on updating this story! For your information... it is just... the very... beginning to my plot ;) Thank you for reading my Beautiful Souls ~MissKayoko*