Shiver

The Great Wicked

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed nor any characters, they are intellectually property of Ubisoft. I make no money in this, I write for enjoyment

Sleep did not find Achilles that night, instead, after sharing stories with Grandfather a silence had settled over the house, all that needed to be told, had been told. What Achilles needed now was solitude, time to reflect and time to thin, he had bared his sins and failures, the entire night was draining. He was tired and weary yet felt as though he did not deserve rest, not as long as Chenoa was out there. He could not forget the look on her face when Achilles had finished his story. The color drained, she was ashen and pale, she looked hollow inside. He saw her white knuckles and her fists clenched in unspeakable anger and heartache, he knew that anger. He had felt that same anguish when his wife and son had died, when he realized his failure to the Order. Where was Chenoa now? Was she coming back? Had Connor managed to find her? And then a horrible thought occurred to him as horrible thoughts do when you are afraid: would Connor return?

These questions played over and over in Achilles head, and then it dawned on him that the last question was the one that worried him the greatest. He like to think to himself and explain himself, reason that he had no choices and that he did what he must do. He sighed heavily and shook his head, how could he be so blind? He had to face the facts, Chenoa may very well be lost to him and he wouldn't blame her, he had to try and accept. But not Connor. They had their differences and arguments in the past, they were different men but in the end they had reconciled and remembered whom the common enemy was. Achilles had been hard on Connor, he had tried to drive him from the manor when they had first met. Despite this Connor had learned to respect Achilles and Achilles had admired Connors strength and perseverance. It had been a long and unsteady road, and yet Achilles kept many secrets from Connor, until recently he had thought that he may take them to his grave.

But, what did Connor think of him now? When he had told Connor to take another name, he felt a great swelling of pride when Connor accepted the name of Achilles late son, and indeed Achilles had always looked on him as a son. He wouldn't admit it straight out but he had grown to love Connor, like a son. Now that he knew everything there was to know, would Connor return?

Achilles sought refuge in the training room beneath the houses foundations, the cold draft feeling natural to him, he sat down and rested upon his cane. Some day the damn thing was bound to snap from the great weight Achilles trusted to it. The house had been still before and felt lifeless now it felt as though it were a grave, no life within it. Life did not belong in it. This was the coffin that Achilles would lay in until the reaper himself came to visit him.

"This Brotherhood stole my family from me." Achilles did not hear the door open, did not feel the draft of air rush down from the top of the stairs. Achilles held his breath and hoped that it had not been an illusion or a dream, that the voice belong to Chenoa was certainly her and not an untrue manifestation of hope. "I heard her cries," He listened to her soft steps as they slowly drifted closer "I smelled her blood," Closer still "I had to burn her and begin a new life." He could feel s presence behind him but he did not dare turn to face her, how could he? "I never knew what became of my father." The presence was now standing before Achilles looking down upon him, his head still hung in shame. "Look at me." He did not want to, afraid to see the pain on her face, afraid to face her tears and try to justify his mistakes, yet he could not deny her, slowly Achilles glanced up. "You owe me a debt." Chenoa paused, "You owe me a family."

"I do." He replied, uncertain of how he could ever begin to make amends.

"By all means, I should have run out that door and never again look upon you, I should have burned this house down and visit my agonies upon you. But," Chenoa paused once more, tired of being angry "It does not bring back my mother, nor does it change what happened." Achilles opened his mouth to speak but Chenoa cut him off "I only want you to listen now," He closed his mouth and nodded "I have spent many nights laying awake and wondering. Thousands of questions and thoughts robbing me of my sleep, beginning a new life did not silence them. I have been alone all of my life, and if there is a God, he did never answer my prayers until now. When the British took me prisoner I longed for death, I was afraid, yet I still wanted them to kill me. To put my soul at peace, that I may see them all again. I had let go of all hope and I waited. It was only when I had given up that he came. Connor."

Achilles brow quirked quizzically, he had not known of Connor's involvement in finding and saving Chenoa. He felt proud of him and waited for Chenoa to continue.

"He found me and he saved me, in every way that a person can be saved. When we parted I never thought that I would see him again, yet he found me, again and again. And even now he has delivered me to this place, this place that has haunted my waking dreams, this place where I was born." Chenoa touched the heavy wooden beams along the wall as though they could speak to her. "It is only because of him that I am here. So if you give thanks to anyone, give it to him."

"Connor," Achilles felt something deep in his chest, he wanted to cry out and embrace Chenoa as a lost child, and Connor as a proud father. "Connor found you?"

"He did. And he made me realize something," Chenoa looked at the robes on the walls "He made me realize that opportunities like this do not come from nothing, they happen for a reason. And the truth is that I would be remiss if I ignored this chance. I have spent my life in sadness and I am tired. I am so tired of being tired and I will abide by it no more." She now faced Achilles "You owe me a debt, but before I can claim it we have work to do."

"Work?" Chenoa strode to the wall that contained portraits of the Templars, large white 'x's over the portraits of the men that Connor had eliminated.

"I need to find him," She pointed to the portrait of Charles Lee

"Why do you seek Charles Lee?" Connors voice now joined the Conversation as he stepped down looking at the portrait himself.

"The British Dragoons that were searching for me traveled with this man, he said I was a dangerous war criminal that had to be apprehended. I need to know why."

"Why would Charles Lee be looking for you?" Achilles questioned

"I do not know, but he was prepared to kill many men to do so." Chenoa stared intently at the portrait and looked deeply the man within. He looked as though his words were poisonous, he has dark eyes but they weren't anything like Connors. His eyes were like black holes that lead to Hell itself, this man had done terrible things of that Chenoa was certain.

"Charles Lee is Haytham Kenway's right hand man, why he would take interest in you is a puzzlement." Achilles said as he stepped forward now, trying to see in Chenoa what Lee was searching for "It is unlikely but perhaps he knows who you were," Achilles asked a question that he swore he would never ask but circumstances dictated the need to know "Chenoa, what happened to your father?"

"He had let us for a medical emergency, he said he would return in a fortnight. I do not know if he ever did,"

"A possible loose end?" Connor posed, Achilles nodded.

"Well if you too, seek Lee then we must begin working as quickly as we can, there is much to teach you." Achilles replied looking at the pair of them, side by side. "And I believe that Miriam and Norris would take it as a great unkindness if you left before Friday."

Chenoa looked on in puzzlement, "Friday?" A look of astonishment cast itself over Connor's face as he realized what Achilles was talking about.

"Their wedding!" Connor clamped a hand over his forehead, how could he have forgotten, "I must speak with Father Timothy,"

"Ah, yes, Connor, you have a role in this don't you?" Chenoa looked to Connor now, "Miriam and Norris are dear friends of Connors and it is only because of him that they are to be wed, Miriam has asked that Connor be the one to give her away."

"Is that not something that is reserved for her father?"

"It normally is, but Miriam does not know her father. She asked that Connor do this, since it was he who was responsible for her attachment to Norris in the first place." For the first time since coming to the Davenport Manor Chenoa smiled in ernest, and she considered it. A wedding seemed so out of place considering the events of the last twenty four hours, Chenoa had always been told that if there was light within the darkness then let that light shine. This wedding, close fiends of Connor by the sound of it deserved its moment. Achilles was right, there would no doubt be a long road to finding out the answers that Chenoa was seeking, and truth be told, it could wait a little bit longer.

"I see, then their wedding must be attended to first," Chenoa said firmly.

"I must go speak with Father TImothy and Norris and Miriam, I will return shortly." Connor nodded to Achilles and Chenoa then ascended the steps quickly and was gone.

"Achilles," Chenoa called "What would you have me learn?"

OOO