Chapter Twenty-Five
Disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's Creed.
A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, they make me happy and they've given me something to think about and decide on something. But this won't be for a while though. ALSO, since I missed last weekend's update, this weekend, you get two chapters. ENJOY!
Finding the rich district wasn't as hard as I thought that it was. The walls of the buildings were brightly colored with fresh paints, the heavily clothed men fat and adorned with some sort of shiny cloth or jewels and even the beggars seemed to be absent. Of course, that wouldn't make sense to me; this is the rich district so perhaps it would be more likely to find those begging for coin in the more rich districts but instead, there was an absence of them. However, where there was the absence, there was an abundance of guards ready to pounce on any who might seem to be out of place or even think about committing a crime. I let out a soft sigh, thinking about the assassin; the troublemaker.
I felt very out of place here in the district, more-so than I was at Masyaf. I suppose that I have a place in Masyaf, in the gardens with the other girls rather than outside the great fortress. "Come; take a look at my wares. You'll not find a better deal, I promise you that!" One of the many merchants cried out, his stall already having many looking over the merchandise. I had to admit, part of me was curious as to what he was selling but another part of me was telling me to continue, move along, don't stop. I decided to listen to this second voice, tearing my eyes away to search around the district. I did pause once, trying to figure out why I was in the rich district instead of anywhere else but I supposed curiosity got the best of me and so there I was. I had passed by a town crier, hearing how Richard was a bad man and how Saladin was so great. I rolled my eyes, not really taking a side. I was in Saladin's land, I'm respectful and didn't make trouble but according to those that saw me, I was Anglo so I was one of Richard's citizens so I had to be mindful of him as well. Confusing, isn't it?
I bit my lower lip, trying to follow along with the traffic, trying to keep sights of where I was and to where I was going. I had wanted to see the mosque of Saladin but I also wanted to stay as far away from where I knew the bloodbath would be. If I could avoid that place all together, I knew that I'd be fine and wouldn't mess up with the timeline at all. I couldn't have been more relieved to know that and yet, the sinking feeling in my gut was back, like I had been punched in the stomach and watched a horrifying accident at once. Not a good feeling, not at all. What was causing this though? It wasn't something I was doing, was it? Was my body acting up again? I didn't think so…
The traffic moved into the large marketplace, the souk if I remember correctly. I was thankful I didn't have any valuables on me or I would have been sure that I would have been pick-pocketed in no time flat. The souk wasn't a safe place to be since there were little to no guards, a lot of beggars and thugs every which way and maybe just once, an assassin by the name of Altair though I'm sure his brothers have made their appearance here before. Would not surprise me.
Going into the heart of the souk, I had heard the sounds of merchants trying to sell their goods, claiming they were of little price or that their wares were the best around. Ignoring them all, I went to sit on a box near one merchant as he was rolling up some fabric before putting it in the back. I had to admit, the souk was busier than it was in the game. People were stopping by several stands, many of them holding goods of their own, probably purchases, the noise of the souk reminding me of home, of the mall, of my own job. I was beginning to miss home again and this wasn't really helping too much with my home sickness. Drawing a leg close to my chest, I held it tightly, setting my chin on my knee, closing my eyes as I tried not to imagine my house, my family and friends.
"Be careful, sister. Showing our mark isn't safe," I heard from a whisper. "Hide it before our enemies were to see it." Lifting my head up, I saw a man in white and gray standing near me, his eyes forward with his arms crossed, his hood up. Another assassin, perhaps an informant? "Do something with it."
I quickly lowered my leg, fixing my dress to hide my skin again but when I looked back up to the man, he was gone, like a ghost. It was a bit odd and strange but at the same time, the coolest thing ever. Getting down from the box, I looked around, seeing if anyone noticed my mark. Probably not, it's so small that one would have to be close to me to see it. Then again, I was flashing around my bare ankle so anyone could have seen it, drawn close, saw what mark it was and called the guards. I'm hoping that it didn't happen. I tried to hide in the crowd, making sure that my shawl was covering my head, keeping my eyes lowered so no one could see the strange color.
Right before I hit an exit of the souk, someone put their hand on my shoulder, pushing me back some. "Hold there." I stiffened watching as a pair of boots came into my line of sight. I blinked and looked up at the man, wondering why I was stopped but as I gasped, my eyes registered that standing before me was a guard. "I saw what you did," he said in a menacing tone. Taking a step back, I saw another join the first, both of them with a wicked gleam in their eye.
Turning, I had to take a double take because there were now two behind me as well. "You dare steal in my presence? That'll cost you your life!" Oh come on! You can not seriously tell me that I'm about to be man handled by a bunch of guards like the civilians from the game! They were all sharing a similar grin; their eyes on me.
"I took nothing," I said, trying to calm myself. Fight or flight instincts were starting to kick in; what I wouldn't have given from some twenty-first weaponry. A stun gun, pepper-spray, anything! Thinking on where I stood, I knew that if I were to stay harassed by them, I'd probably never seek salvation unless saved or until the guards gave up on me. I bit my lower lip in thought, seeing a guard's eyes open wider at that. No, these men were bullies, I could not afford to stay with them.
Without second though, I bolted, trying to get away as fast as I could. I knew that they would be faster than me, I knew that my lungs would cause me to stagger, stumble, fall, and eventually pass out but with the look in their eyes, I knew I didn't have a choice. My lack of knowing the city would catch up to me soon if I didn't keep running. If I could lose sight of them, I might be able to hide in a crowd, in a haystack or something. I just had to lose their line of sight on me then I could look for a place to hide. Why was it that I was being chased by guards no matter what? I had passed so many people, so many buildings, I didn't really know where I was going, just that I had to get away. Already, my lungs were stealing oxygen from my brain, my vision blurring and fading into the familiar darkness. I'd be blind soon and I could still hear them behind me.
My shawl was loose and gone, I couldn't feel the weight of it anymore around me and with the wind whistling in my ears, I knew that more of my hair had fallen out of the tight braid. "Stop, you thief!" Darkness spotted my vision and yet all I could think of was to keep running. Don't stop running, don't ever stop.
I don't know how far I got, just the sounds were fading and my legs, chest and throat burned before my vision vanished completely. My breath, now horribly shallow, sounding as if I were gasping, reached my ears. My legs disappeared beneath me and I fell.
-.-.-
"She has finally stopped making that noise."
"Shh, she is now resting. The demons must have left her."
"Her coloring is returning."
Ugh. My eyes opened with much difficulty, everything looking like blurry colors. I closed them tightly before opening them once again, trying to see. I felt something cold on my forehead, dripping down into my ears as another was on my chest, making me shiver. Someone was holding one of my hands, rubbing my fingernails; another was running cold liquid over the other arm. My eyes were starting to focus as I could see large circular candle holders hanging from a tan ceiling, the warm light dancing around in the shadows.
"There is something here, I can't get it off." I heard before a cold wet cloth began to scrub at my ankle.
I twitched my fingers, hearing a few gasps as my vision finally cleared. My body was still too heavy to move but I could look around. "Where am I?" I croaked out. Oh geez, I sound like I have a frog in my throat. A beautiful woman wearing a veil picked my head up gently as a shallow bowl was set on my lips. Taking slow swallows, I felt relief hit my belly, some of my strength returning. When I had my fill, I looked at the one holding me up, her wild waves of hair really close to my face as I could smell the oils on her skin, the perfumes in her hair. "Where am I?" I repeated.
The woman's eyes studied me before helping me sit up. The cold cloth on my forehead and chest gave way, showing I was nude in front of a room full of women. Great. "You are in our care. We are the concubines of the Merchant King." My head snapped as I looked at her. "Are you feeling better?"
Taking a deep breath, I felt my lungs begin to burn, as if they had been on fire. "Yeah, I'm alright," I muttered, a hand to my bare chest to feel my heart. It wasn't pounding so I should be alright to move some. "Why am I…naked?" They even took away my underwear. "Where are my clothes?" I asked, pulling my legs to sit as if I were a mermaid, my arms covering my chest.
One of the women, her baggy pants almost sheer, stood and motioned to a fire. "You're bleeding cloth was burnt to rid yourself of pains, your dress now in the care of those on the streets." They burnt my undies and got rid of my clothes…WHAT? I put a hand to my neck, not feeling the familiar chain. "Oh yes, that," she said, noticing my actions before waving a hand to a woman dressed like a belly dancer. "As women, we too can understand the need to take such measures."
I snatched the necklace out of the woman's hand and put it on, stopping when an unfamiliar scent caught my attention. Once the chain was securely in place, I lifted my arm to my nose, sniffing tentatively. "And this?"
"You were bathed so that the demons inside of you would leave. Your breathing was quite shallow and yet you managed to fight them off." Demons? I tilted my head before catching on. They meant my asthmas.
"How long was I…fighting these 'demons'?" I asked slowly.
The woman motioned to the window. The outside light showed that it was nearing dusk. "You were brought to us perhaps just before the imam's third prayer."
That told me nothing except that she was a child of Islam. Thinking back on it, Altair and I reached Damascus around noon, I had stayed in the bureau perhaps an hour so I had nearly my whole afternoon passed out! I shook my head against it. "And what will be done with me now?"
"Now? You must perform the duties you have practiced. You ran here, according to the men, giving yourself up to the Merchant King. You had passed out once you reached the area, so the men have said." She crossed her arms under her large breasts, pushing them up even more. "Though you are much too pale to be from the city. A trade perhaps?" I heard her mutter.
They thought I was a courtesan, a concubine? Oh but no! I'm not some man's little play thing. "And to wear?" I asked, keeping my cool. The woman clapped her hands and the surrounding women stood, each one going to a different table to pull out rich fabric, holding them out as if for me to inspect. "And if I should bleed through them?"
This is where she smiled. "My family came from across the waters long ago. The women taught us this." She held up a white…fuzzy stick? "This will catch the blood but like your rags, you must change it often." Wait, wait, was she really holding up a medieval tampon? "Here, to help you with your bleedings." Handing me the tampon, it felt like unwoven wool. I had hoped it was washed. "Do you need help?"
A felt my face heat up. "I think I can mange. Is there…um…a place where I can do this?" I heard many of the women giggle as I was pointed to a large blanket in a corner.
I looked at the woman, the mother of the room, I guess, and gave her a funny look. "It is strictly for clothes, there is another place we go to for that." She pointed to a door leading out, it on the other side of the room from another door. "If you need to relieve youself-"
"Yes, thank you!" I said quickly, grabbing a long dark blue shawl, a familiar small rag before running to the "bathroom" area. Looking down at the tampon in my hand, my mind began to wonder how in the world I can use this. Taking a deep breath, I held it as if I would a normal one and began. I have to say, it was the nastiest thing I have ever done in my life. I don't like my periods, I never have, and that was just sick! I'd rather deal with the rags the women in Masyaf gave me than an ancient tampon. I mean, it was awkward, a bit painful and after several rolls of my hips to work my inner muscle, it finally settled in place as I wiped away any blood. I was going to need a scrubbing or a bath or something; this was gross.
Wait, how am I going to take it out? I cringed at the thought, my stomach wanting to purge itself but after bracing myself against a wall and taking several deep breaths, I managed to let that feeling wash away.
I wrapped the blood fabric around myself as I left the room to go back to the other concubines, really taking in the room's decoration. There were a lot of cushions around the area, several mirrors lining the walls while there were carved tables covered in yards of fabric to cover them up, all the surfaces either covered in jeweled combs, bushes, hand held mirrors, and loads of jewelry, or with flowers and other decorative items. There weren't many women in the room, only six, each one wearing a different color. The main woman was wearing a dark green, the jewels on her arms and feet heavy with what looked like emeralds while henna danced around her belly and back that wasn't covered with fabric. Her hair wasn't pinned back but instead flowed freely around her face.
Another wearing a deep red was quickly tying a see through scarf around her waist, her navel adorned by shiny paints into a sun. Above her veil, a small golden sun was painted on her cheek bone, temple bells on her ankle that jangled every time she took a step. Her hair was pulled back with jeweled combs, bells dangling from them as well. Every woman was dressed in a similar fashion, belly dancer like clothes with some jewelry hanging on their arms and ankles, henna and painted symbols along their flesh, each one as seductive as her sister. These nimble creatures turned my way and I could see a familiar glint in their eye. Oh no, I was to be their doll.
Many arms grabbed my own before sitting me down, ripping the fabric from my body before I was pulled into baggy pants, a piece of fabric wrapping around my chest, covering my breasts before tying around my neck, Already, cold wet paint was applied to my skin as a woman stood me up, sitting in front of me to paint around my navel, another grabbing my hand to paint along my fingers and the back of my hand, while I felt rings fitted on my fingers, a bracelet on my wrist and an arm cuff above bicep but under my deltoid, the cold metal sending goose-bumps along my arm.
Someone behind me clicked her tongue against her teeth, unbinding my hair. All the while, the woman were talking, dressing me, painting me, molding me to be like them. Having my eyelids rubbed on with kohl, I felt my nose twitch from the excess powder before a thin veil covered my lower face, showing my eyes above the fabric.
This process took some time and after the last piece was pinned or painted or set or something, I don't know, the women backed up, nodding their approval before finishing their own adjustments to themselves. I was wearing the deep blue, silver bands covering my arm as rings covered all my fingers. Taking a step, I felt the fabric of the shoes they had given me, the material soft and soothing on my feet but the tinkling off bells told me I had temple bells as well. Going to one of the many mirrors, I didn't recognize the woman staring back at me. The fabric covering me still showed off more skin than that of what I was used to but with the painted henna on me, it looked as though I fit in. Silver swirls flowed gently from my navel, lace like henna in a dark orange covered up to my elbows while the make-up on me made me not recognize the woman staring back at me. She was gorgeous, her wavy hair pinned back with silver combs so that the waves fell gently, the veil adding mystery to the dark blue-green eyes.
The woman in the mirror was stunning…that woman in the mirror was me. Feeling self conscious, I looked down on myself, seeing that what was reflected back to me was real. I felt my self-confident boost dramatically due to just this one time of dressing up, it was amazing.
"Come," I heard behind me. Turning, I saw a woman in bright colors, seeming as if she was bathed in a rainbow as a delicately chiseled hand motioned to the door with the other girls. I nodded and followed along, the bells dancing on my ankle as I joined the crowd. The door was suddenly flung open and my eyes with it. Abul Nuqoud was standing in the door way.
-.-.-
I did more research on this chapter even though it doesn't seem like much. My thanks to SporkedGamer. Without her, I would have been stuck on a particular part.