Brotherhood: The Recruits
Author: name-me-regret
AN: Yeah, this writer's block hit me harder than I ever imagined. Phiod and Remi couldn't even see me trying to write this story without going into violent spasms. Poor ReZ took the brunt of Phiod's violence, lol
Now, Desideria and Severino have been recruits roughly since February, so that's two months. At this point they are both ranked Servitore, and both about to become Assistente. Remember, the ranks are as follows: Recluta, Servitore, Assistente, Milite, Discepolo, Mercenario, Guerriero, Veterano, Maestro, and Assassino. Everyone else is still Recluta. Also, if you noticed I started putting actual dates when the scene changes. When there's a change of scene with no date then it's happening on the same day. I started doing it to keep track of the timeline lol
Layout of the dormitories:
http (colon) / albums / g130 / bite-me-harder / 4th%20Floor%20Dormitories (underscore) zps (one) p (zero) ra (four) t (i).png
[Edited: July 29, 2017]
Chapter Twenty-Five: Ignis Fatuus
~o~
June 6, 1501
'Who are you?'
Vittorio would be lying if he said that Annetta's question hadn't shaken him, because it had. It had rattled him so much that his hands were trembling even an hour later. He was in the room he'd been assigned by the Maestro, since Bianca had kicked him out as soon as she realized that Annetta was awake despite Vittorio's protests. He had finally left when the dottore had threatened to call Ezio.
As he left, he thought that perhaps antagonizing her was a bad idea since she's the one that would be attending to any wounds he may acquire in the future. Hopefully, she was a professional that didn't let personal feelings get in the way of treating her patients.
Now, he was pacing as he tried to calm his trembling hands and going over his first meeting with Annetta after more than a year. She had been pale and bruised, and her face had been slightly swollen so he hadn't been able to read the emotion on her face too well when she'd first seen him. He could tell she had been afraid as she shrunk away from him, and Vittorio wasn't sure how he felt about that. Well, since he loved the stubborn woman, then he guess he could say that he felt hurt.
Vittorio stopped mid-step at that thought and remembered Ezio's words from the other day, and tried to make sense of it. 'Do I love her?' he asked himself seriously, instead of trying to deny it outright. He had already lost too much time with her with denials.
He thought back to the nights they had spent together and the cottage he had bought for her. The way he felt when her smiles and laughter had faded over time due to his indifference, and finally, the devastation to realize that he had driven her away. How, as he prepared to die after Elio's death, his only thought had been of Annetta and his wish to see her smiling face once more.
Then he realized that had possibly already been imprisoned by that point, and felt bile rise in his throat at the thought. He physically hurt trying to image all she had suffered.
So, perhaps it was safe to say that he did love her.
However, there was the present problem that she didn't remember him, or it was likely she was lying and said it because she was angry with him. Vittorio was determined to find out the truth. If they had damaged her so much that she had forgotten, then he would help her remember, and if she didn't want to remember him, the he'd do everything in his power to gain her forgiveness.
Either way, Vittorio would never let her escape from him again. Never again.
~o~
Annetta tried to ignore the former thief as he sat beside her bed once more, but she was watching him with her peripheral vision. If she was being honest with herself, she wasn't really sure how she felt about having him here. It was true that memories of their time spent together had helped her retain a bit of sanity, but now that he was here she didn't know what to do about it. Also, she had blurted that question in her panic at seeing him again after more than a year; a year that had been anything but kind to her.
Now, she was ignoring him.
Bianca had kicked him out earlier after she realized that Annetta was awake, but he'd only been away long enough to obviously bathe and change clothes; although they were the same kind as before. Annetta discreetly inhaled his scent and shuddered slightly to realize that it was the same after all this time.
Although she'd never admit it, she wanted to bury her nose against his throat and take all of him in, and maybe pretend for a while that she was safe. However, the Annetta that had once deceived herself where he was concerned had died, and was reborn into the scornful creature that was before him. Hence, she knew that she'd never be safe until she saw Havloh's corpse.
The blue eyed woman came over, and besides shooting an annoyed look at Vittorio, she paid him no mind as she offered Annetta some medicine. Vittorio moved as if to help Annetta drink it, but she quickly took it to stop him as Vittorio deflated in disappointment.
Annetta was using her left hand, since she had sprained the right one while struggling against the rope that had had her immobilized, and she had further injured it during her panic attack while she'd been feverish. So, Bianca had forbidden her from moving or using it at all. The reason she listened to the other woman was not due to trust, but because it was practical.
If she injured herself more than she'd be in this bed even longer than she was already going to be. When she managed to get well enough, then she would leave this place. Of course, there was no guarantee that they'd allow her to leave, but if she managed to get in better health, than she could sneak out. Annetta didn't know where she would go afterwards, but she would figure that out later. She just wanted to get away from this place that called Ciro a traitor. The man had come for her and had given his life to save her. Ciro was no traitor.
The battered woman suddenly had a thought. 'Where is Ciro's body?' She wasn't sure how long she had been unconscious, since judging by her weakness, she had been feverish for several days. "Bianca, where is Messere Ezio?" she asked suddenly.
Bianca turned toward her before a thoughtful expression came over her face. "He's on a..." she hesitated, "an errand."
Annetta knew there was more to it than that, but decided not to ask. "Could you tell him I wish to speak with him when he gets here?" The dottore stared silently at her for several seconds before giving a nod, and then returning to preparing something Annetta couldn't see from the bed.
An awkward silence enveloped them then, until the door slammed open moments later, and Annetta wasn't the only one that flinched; Vittorio even threw a knife instinctively. Bianca's hands were busy making the medicine, but she turned to scowl at the two people standing in the doorway.
Desideria moved her head an inch to the left to evade the knife as it impaled into the door across the hallway. She was holding up a bleeding Severino as he pressed a bloody hand against his blood-drenched abdomen. She shoved him forward then as he stumbled in and he huffed in annoyance. "Take care of this idiota," she growled, and then spun on her heel and left the room. She appeared a moment later after recovering the knife, which she threw back at Vittorio who caught it with a small nod at her. Then Desideria slammed the door shut.
The mentioned idiot turned to look at Bianca. "It's not as bad as it looks," he informed an unamused Bianca. The woman just pointed to one of the unoccupied beds in the room, and Annetta was immensely grateful that it was on the other side of the room.
This was the biggest room on this floor beside the storage one right across the hall, and it had a total of six beds with three on both sides, and a fireplace in the left corner. There were shelves on the front wall on either side of the bed that stretched to the wall, and on the right side the shelf curved along the wall until it stopped about half a foot from the first bed. Annetta was on the beds on the right where there was no fireplace so they were closer to the wall where there was a window just above it. She felt reassured by that window, since it provided an escape route because it was right above her head.
Severino was on the beds on the left side of the room, the one closer to the fireplace where Bianca was sitting on a stool while she cleaned his cut after having cut the shirt away from the wound. "It's not as bad as it looks," the blue eyed woman said sarcastically, pressing the bandages to the wound. "Hold this here!" she snapped.
The man obeyed without question and Bianca stood as she moved over to her table, plucking a bottle of something as well as a small box that rattled as she walked. "I have to sew this wound closed." If her glare could burn, Severino would be a pile of ash with the combination of Bianca's and the one Desideria had had on her face before dumping him here.
He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, the bastardo wasn't as dead as I thought," he said by way of an explanation.
Bianca sat down on the stool once more, and he winced as she harshly slammed the tin box on his leg for easier reach. She grabbed a few more bandages that had been cut into strips, and smearing the pasty substance inside the bottle onto one she then spread it on his other leg for later use. "Do you want something to bite into?" she asked him, taking a needle and thread from the tin box. The man pressed his lips together into a bloodless line before giving a firm shake of his head. "Bene."
The woman's deft hands threaded the needle before leaning forward and inserting the needle without preamble, but Severino barely flinched. Vittorio would say that it was actually admirable if he hadn't seen the man being beaten by Desi during training. Severino had just become desensitized by a certain amount of pain, which was both good and bad. It was good since a very minimal wound wouldn't cause him too much discomfort and thus he could continue the mission. However, if he acquired an injury like the one he had obviously gotten in this latest mission then he would simply dismiss it thinking it wasn't serious since it didn't hurt. That was a good way to bleed out without realizing it before it'd be too late to do anything about it.
Vittorio was about to say something to him, but paused when he noticed the man's gaze resting on Annetta. The woman was giving him a very wary glance while she tried to make herself as small as possible. Severino may be an annoying, chatterbox at times, but he was also a powerhouse. He was about five inches away from being six feet, and all of it was muscle. So, he understood Annetta's wariness.
Severino's eyes snapped to Vittorio when he stood, moving the stool he had been sitting in to place in the man's line of sight so Annetta would be partially covered. The man regarded him with a seriousness that was uncanny for him before he gave him an indulgent smile. "I meant no harm," he murmured. "I was merely curious about our guest.
The masked man grunted. "A curiosity like yours is likely to cause at least some kind of harm," he responded. Annetta had twitched only slightly when Vittorio had stood up but now that he was between her and Severino, the tense line of her shoulders had relaxed slightly. "Besides, Yeoman isn't a painting to be stared at. He's entitled to his privacy while recovering."
It was likely that Severino was sporting one of his amused or smug grins by this point, and Vittorio didn't care to turn around and confirm this. He was content to stare at Annetta's right arm which was wrapped tightly against her chest to prevent it from moving. Vittorio had been re-entering the room when Bianca was telling Annetta that she wasn't to move it under any circumstances.
"You seem to know Yeoman very well. Is he part of your past which we're not allowed to ask about?"
Vittorio rolled his eyes, already inured to the man's annoying behavior. "It's just you that's not allowed to ask, since you're the only one asking to begin with." He contemplated pulling his hood up but it would likely be perceived as a nervous motion and alert Severino how right he was that he knew Annetta very well.
~o~
Once more, Vittori found himself kicked out of the room. He would have protested more but this time both Severino and himself had had to leave as soon as Ezio had shown up unexpectedly. Apparently, Annetta wanted to ask him something that she didn't want anyone else besides Bianca to hear. He wouldn't be surprised if she already knew what it was about.
He was practicing his swordsmanship with Augusto at the moment, since his emotions of frustrations had been causing him to pace outside the door. Vittorio wanted to be a fly on the wall of the clinic to hear what Annetta wanted to say. In fact, it was so few words that she had spoken to him since she had awoken that anything she said would be treated like something precious.
Vittorio's distraction caused Augusto to get past his defenses and nick his upper right arm, and the man stopped with a frown. "If you're not going to take this seriously, then I'm not going to bother with you." He sheathed his sword before turning on his heel and left the room.
As for his part, Vittorio was left floundering for words as the younger man left the room. Vittorio groaned in frustration, sat down on the cold, stone floor and let the sword clatter down beside him. Of course, Augusto was right to be angry with him, since he didn't even have the decency to take their sparring seriously.
He was just worried, and frankly he was growing sick with himself. Mostly because he felt so useless and the thought of how long it would take -if ever- to earn Annetta's trust.
The man gave one last sigh before standing, snatching his fallen sword as he straightened before sheathing it at his side once again. He was on the third floor where all the rooms, including the small courtyard, were used as training areas. Now he climbed up the stairs to the fourth floor where all the reclutas were housed, including the clinic that had been transformed from a former storage room.
Each of the smaller rooms had two beds and could house two reclutas, but at the moment there weren't enough of them to really start sharing. Also, he was certain that Bianca slept in one of the beds of the clinic during the night so she would be closer to her herbs and medicines in an emergency. She was also sent on missions, but never any long term ones in case she was needed there. It would be interesting to see in the future whether she would be sent on missions to other cities as she climbed up in rank.
A shout had his head snapping up before he broke into a run toward the clinic where the sound had come from. He was a foot away when he heard Annetta's horse voice yelling at Ezio, of all people.
"—like some stray dog!"
"Calm yourself," Ezio said calmly.
Vittorio had come to stop outside of the door, since he wasn't sure if he should enter or not. However, that thought went out the window as he heard a crash from inside and quickly opened the door. A moment later he realized that it was the stool that Vittorio had been sitting in that had fallen to the floor, and it was because Annetta was struggling to leave the bed as Bianca tried to stop her. Ezio watched both of them from the foot of the bed, and the fact that he had his hood pulled up said a lot. Although, Vittorio only knew that it was because he was defensive, but not the reason.
"I refuse to stay in this bed while Ciro's body is in that hole in the ground!" she snarled, pitching into a coughing fit a moment later. Bianca removed a small bottle from the pouch at her side and tried to offer it to Annetta, but the woman only smacked her hand away. The bottle flew out of her hand and it shattered on the ground as it spilled its contents.
"I said calm yourself!"
Annetta flinched violently at Ezio's raised voice and shrunk back into the pillows that had been helping her sit up in the bed. The man's lips were twisted into a disgusted expression, but Vittorio was almost sure it wasn't directed at the young woman.
A few moments of silence passed before Ezio inhaled deeply. "When Niccolò learned that one of the soldiers killed was Ciro Petaccia he investigated where the bodies of the men were buried," he explained, having gone back to his calm tone.
"They hadn't able to identify his body, so it was turned over to the church for final rites and proper burial. He was buried in a small plot of land owned by the church outside of the city." He lifted a hand and pushed back his hood so his eyes weren't in shadow anymore, and thus looked less like a threat. Although, the rigidity of Annetta's shoulders didn't relax as she peered at him with a pale face, her jaw clenched tight enough to most likely cause her discomfort. "Despite Niccolò's hatred for the man, he did not disturb the grave, but he also didn't inform me where he was buried."
"I-I have to go-"
"No," Ezio snapped as Annetta flinched once more. He stood up, towering over the smaller woman in the bed that had started to tremble at the intimidating gesture, because that was what it was. Vittorio didn't say anything, since he had come to know Ezio better in the time he had been in the Brotherhood, and knew that he did it for Annetta's wellbeing. If she left the bed in search of Ciro's body –whom he figured had to be the one he knew as Robyn— then she was likely to do herself more harm.
"You are not well enough to leave this bed, and won't leave it until Bianca says you are healthy enough to do so." He turned away from her without another word, walking toward the door and past Vittorio. The masked man glanced at Annetta but the woman refused to look at any of them, having turned her face toward the wall. She was still shaking slightly, and even if Vittorio wanted to go to her now he knew that she may snap at him at the moment.
Bianca glanced at him sharply as walked further into the room, but he only picked up the stool and straightened it. "I'll be back tomorrow," he murmured toward Annetta. She didn't answer him, but he had been expecting it as he gave Bianca a parting nod before leaving the room.
A few minutes later he caught up with Ezio in the main room, looking over some documents. Usually some of the other recruits were here; Severino in the small library or Augusto where some of the purchased paintings were hung up. However, it was empty with the exception of Ezio and Vittorio. Although he was staring at the parchment in his hand, Vittorio could tell that he wasn't reading it.
"She's so afraid of me," the man said quietly before Vittorio could say anything. Ezio had yet to turn around so couldn't see expression on his features, but he could tell that this bothered him greatly. After all, Ezio was a just, decent man. "The horrors they must have subjected her to..." He didn't finish his statement, but Vittorio still flinched at the mention of the woman's imprisonment.
The man cleared his throat before finally turning to face him. "I have a mission for you..."
Vittorio cut him off, which surprised Ezio since he didn't normally do such a thing. "Actually, I have something to do, Maestro," he said hesitantly, not wanting to state the reason he was refusing the mission.
Ezio leaned back against the table behind him, crossing his arms over his chest. "It wouldn't have anything to do with grave desecration, would it?"
It seemed that the man knew him better than he thought. Then again, when it had to do with Annetta he wasn't exactly subtle. If Severino could tell that there was something going on between Annetta (or Yeoman) and himself, then he knew he was being sloppy. However, he couldn't find it in him to care. He had played things cool once when dealing with Annetta and their relationship, but not anymore.
"Yes," he candidly replied. There was no point in denying it, and he wouldn't want to; especially not to Ezio. It was always better to be frank with the man, no matter the reason.
Ezio sighed and straightened. The Assassin had known that the former thief would be compelled to do something when it clearly distressed Yeoman so much. Once more, he felt the desire to ask Vittorio what the woman's name was. However, he remembered her words and the desperation behind them.
I don't have anything left besides my name.
However, he didn't think she was right about that. After all, here was a man that seemed ready to do anything for her. Now, if only she realized it, but Ezio knew that it would likely take her a long time to ever recover enough to trust again; if ever. Yeoman would never again be the same woman that Vittorio had known before, and that he'd loved then. It would be a struggle for them if the man wanted to try and cultivate some semblance of relationship with her.
Well, digging up her father-figure and giving him better than a popper's burial was a step in the right direction; no matter how unorthodox.
"Molto bene," he conceded. "I doubt Niccolò will easily give you the information, but I happen to know which brand of wine he loves. So, this is what you're going to do..."
If Ezio could help them along, then he would play a little matchmaking. His amusement was only part of the reason.
~o~
June 7, 1501
It just seemed an unmeasured amount of bad luck that the first week without Ciro was the worst they had since coming to Roma. There were few places to take refuge during the night from the elements and from the guards that seemed to be around every corner, and without Ciro's thieving skills they had no money. Ugo, while his father had been a thief, had been raised and trained by mercenaries, and thus couldn't pick-pocket to save his life. Also, the guards had taken a disliking to Ghita due to her need to defend anyone they started harassing, so they had taken to harassing her instead whenever they spotted her. After a few days, it started to go beyond getting pushed around and being verbally abused.
Ugo knew she was beautiful, but to him she had always been even as a gap-toothed child and an awkward, gangly teenager. He had always loved her, and it was only in the last two years that the innocent love he had felt had transformed to desire. Ghita's body had filled out into that of a woman.
Of course, he would be a fool if he thought that others wouldn't notice this as well. The guards obviously disliked her, but there were an alarming many that were interested in her more than Ugo was comfortable with. It explained the scene he returned to after having gone to acquire something to eat with money he had earned doing some odd jobs. Ghita had stayed behind and was supposed to keep out of sight, and was dismayed to see that she hadn't been as well hidden as she had thought.
Ghita was surrounded by a patrol that had been passing by, and the highest ranked within their group was leaning a little too close to the young woman pressed against the wall of the building behind her. The other guards had formed a circle around them to prevent Ghita from escaping. Ugo could see that the girl was just itching to draw the swords strapped to her sides by the curling and uncurling of her fingers.
She had gotten better over the months they had been with Ciro, whose fate neither of them knew at this point in time. Ghita liked to imagine that Annetta and Ciro had been reunited and were even now happily living somewhere outside of Roman, and away from everything that had hurt them. Ugo, however, was of a more pessimistic outlook and knew that the odds had been against the stubborn man. A tiny sliver of optimism had him hoping that the Assassins had gotten there in time to save them both, or at least one of them.
As Ugo darted forward to kill the first guard, Ghita withdrew her swords faster than the man cornering her could blink, and Ugo was abundantly grateful that Ciro had dedicated the time to train his girl. Ugo hoped he was still alive so he could thank him one day.
The guard fell away from her in a spray of blood as one of her drawn swords caught him across his exposed throat, and the other clanged loudly as it met another guards' sword. She immediately engaged him as Ugo fought the other one, but the man was no match for the double-wielder and Ugo's own opponent soon joined his comrades in the land of the dead.
He sheathed his weapon and immediately went to Ghita's side to make sure she was all right. The first time Ghita had been forced to kill she had emptied the contents of her stomach afterwards, and that night she had cried herself to sleep. She had taken refuge in Ugo's arms, and for once he hadn't protested their actions as being inappropriate.
Now, besides being pale and shaky, she was managing to keep it together. It was a relief, since their fight had gained attention from more guards and they had to run.
In the confusion of running and trying to dodge around civilians and objects in their paths, they became separated.
~o~
Ghita almost panicked when she realized that Ugo was nowhere to be seen, but pursed her lips and concentrated on the situation at hand. She would lose these persistent bastardi and then would worry about finding the older man. However, it soon seemed apparent that she wasn't going to be able to give them the slip, and was forced to stop as an agile guard caught up to her. She feinted right and he moved to intercept, but she went left and cut across with one of her swords. Ghita cursed as the man easily evaded her sword with his quick movements, and as she stopped to confront him it gave the others the chance to catch up as they quickly surrounded her.
She hissed a breath through clenched teeth in frustration. "Well, boys, are you sure you can handle me all by yourselves?" she jeered, but the taunt fell flat. Ghita knew she was in trouble without Ugo's assistance. There were four of them in total, and they were heavily armed. She held up on drawing her second sword for the moment, and instead pulled a dagger out into her spare hand. If she managed to get past their defenses, then the dagger would serve her better in close quarter fighting.
Her eyes darted between her enemies and waited with baited breath to see who would attack her first. Ghita resolved to only counter for the time being, and she wasn't above fighting dirty if it managed to keep her alive. The agile one moved first, but he side-stepped her counter move.
'Well, fuck.'
~o~
Ugo didn't know how he allowed it to happen, and wanted to throttle himself for having lost sight of Ghita. He needed to lose his pursuers and find his charge, but it soon became apparent that he wouldn't be able to lose them. They were relentless and were advancing on him.
He smirked as the slimmer man overtook him, since he was fast on his feet but as he stopped to face him, Ugo quickly let loose a throwing knife. As the man fell with a gurgling scream, Ugo turned and charged into the remaining soldiers. He swung his mace, shattering his opponent's sword with the strength behind it, and ducking under the swing of another enemy's sword. The battle was over after two minutes of carnage, and the rest of the soldiers lay on the ground, either dead or unconscious.
The man usually had to keep his eyes on Ghita, so he could never really let loose his full skills. However, he had needed to end the fight quickly, since he was afraid that something might happen to her. It felt good to cut loose, despite not knowing where his charge was at the present moment.
"Well, fuck," he muttered, hefting his mace easily to rest across his shoulders. "That girl has surely gotten into trouble by now."
He set off to find Ghita.
~o~
Ghita gasped as she saw the heavy weapon come swinging her way, and lifted her sword to block and grunted as it connected with enough force to send her staggering back, and she lost her footing as well as she and her sword hit the ground. She rolled away in a panic when the Brute's axe nearly carved her in two. The slender girl was up and on him before he could yank the large weapon out of the ground. Her dagger; which was the only thing she had left to defend herself, found an opening between the helmet and the chest plate, sank in with a sickening squelch.
She darted away from an attack of her second opponent before the big man in armor even hit the ground. The other guard wore no armor and was quick on his feet and she had difficulty landing a hit, but grew frustrated and kicked under his defenses to nail him in the groin. As he doubled over in pain Ghita kneed him in the face and he crumpled. She didn't know if she killed him, but disregarded it as she pilfered both guards' weapons and fiorini, and went to quickly recover her fallen sword.
As she straightened, the young woman had no time to catch her breath as more guards came, alerted of the fighting. She took one of the stolen daggers, flipped it so she was gripping it by the blade, and flung it with all her might at the approaching guards. The one at the front of the group was dead before he hit the ground, and his corpse tripped up the two that were behind him. Ghita used the distraction to dart into a nearby alley and was able to get lost within the crowd the next street over.
The adolescent made sure to keep alert even when she walked several feet undisturbed, and this damn near saved her life as she heard running footsteps and harsh panting behind her. Ghita ducked and felt the rush of wind against her hair as the sword missed her head by mere inches. She twisted while in her crouch and drove both her daggers into the attacker's stomach and then mercilessly disemboweled him. The man screamed as he dropped his weapon and used his hands to try and keep his intestines from spilling out of his body.
Ghita was forced to roll forward as the man's comrades flung throwing knives at her unprotected back. When she straightened, she had to quickly parry the swing of a longer sword, and she was driven back. A well-placed blow by one of their swords knocked her daggers from her hands and she was forced to jump away from another attack.
She had no choice but to draw the heavier sword and defend, but there were five of them against her and soon she was cornered. When one of the guards tried to finish her off, she deflected his attack and she managed to grab him with her arm around his unprotected neck. The others now seemed reluctant to attack with their comrade being used as the meat shield. However, she knew that wouldn't be the case for much longer, so she knew she had to think of something, and fast. The guard in her grasp tensed and she brought the edge of her sword above her arm to press against his vulnerable neck and he immediately stilled.
One of the others growled at her actions and lunged at her, and Ghita prepared to fight until she was dead. So, she was prepared to take as many of them with her as possible. Her sword deflected the guards' attack, and when he swung his own weapon she released her hostage, stepped back and kicked him forward. The second guard didn't kill the other, but managed to wound him enough so he was unable to continue fighting. For a few grueling minutes, she was overwhelmed and could only just barely defend herself. When all seemed to indicate her death, a Grim Reaper in white fell from the heavens.
Although Ghita was aware that someone had jumped in to help her, she didn't allow herself to get distracted from the fight. She was left with two opponents while the others attacked the newcomer, but even then she was close to exhaustion from the previous fight and her reflexes were starting to slow down. One of the men's swords just managed to lightly wound her arm and she staggered back to avoid the swing of his comrades' weapon, and knew she had to quickly think of the strategy.
However, before she could put two thoughts together, a white blur tackled one of her opponents to the ground and impaled a blade from his bracer into his throat. While the second guard was distracted, Ghita lunged forward and drove her sword under his ribs, and thrust it up so it would impale his heart. The man hands' had come around her neck in attempt to choke her, and now slumped against her and she used what strength she had left to shove his corpse off, his now nerveless fingers easily slipping away from her throat.
Ghita doubled over and she tried to regain her breath as the man dressed in white robes looted the corpses. Her knees buckled and threatened to give way under her, but she refused to collapse because; although, she was a woman, she wasn't weak. The young woman straightened at last when she could breathe easier and stretched her sore muscles, hissing as the gash on her forearm tore open further and felt blood ooze down almost to her elbow.
She contemplated cutting off her sleeve to be able to better tend to the wound, since the shirt was ruined either way. However, before she could the figure in white came forward and she was able to clearly see him better, and was shocked to realize just who had saved her. "Assassino!" she exclaimed in shock, bowing her head toward him in respect.
"The Liberation of Roma has begun. If you chose to flee, do so now, but if you choose to fight, stand with me against the Borgia."
Ghita was almost insulted that he would even suggest she flee. A long time ago, she had chosen to stop running away. "I'm tired of hiding in the shadows! I will join you!"
The man's lips twitched as if he would smile but merely placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Then seek Niccolò Machiavelli on Isola Tiberina and we will make you one of us. Their lies will no longer mask your truth."
Then man turned to leave and she looked around quickly and realized that she wasn't that far away from Isola Tiberina. "So, where exactly is this place? Is it a building, a house, a bordello, what?" she asked as she hurried after him. The man glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, and he was a bit startled as if he hadn't expected her to follow him. "I've been told to go to a piazza and look for a person before, but it was hard because I wasn't supposed to say his name. Then I had no idea what he looked like, and I had to avoid the guards at the same time. It was a very stressful hour for me. So, I need specific instructions on Machiavelli's location."
This time the man's lips did lift into a smile as he chuckled. "Well, by all means, ragazza, follow me," he said, offering his arm to her.
She giggled at the gesture, and slipped her arm around his. "Lead the way, Messere," she said with a grin. They walked toward the bridge that would take them to Isola Tiberina, and on the way there Ghita recounted who she was and who her father had been. Ezio was shocked to find out she was Fedele Gargani's daughter, since he remembered the man as one of his uncle's most loyal mercenaries. The man had been there with the older Auditore male since before Ezio, Claudia and Maria Auditore had fled to Monteriggioni when the rest of their family had been murdered.
He had learned from a letter written by his mother that Ugo Ubaldi; apprenticed under Fedele, had taken up the running of the mercenaries in his master's stead in Firenze. Ezio had assumed that Fedele's daughter would be there as well, but apparently she'd come to Roma to meet someone. The young woman didn't offer a name and Ezio wondered at the reason. Well, it was of no consequence at the moment. He'd figure it out sooner or later.
"Where is your father's apprentice?" he wondered. After the man's death, then Ugo would be in charge of protecting the girl since Fedele had no other family as far as he knew. Although, after seeing her fight he figured she could take care of herself, but doubted that even then a man trained under Fedele would have likely left her alone in Roma.
Ghita's shoulders slumped at the mention of the man and Ezio feared the worst. Especially since his family was still in Firenze. "We got separated when we were attacked by the soldiers," she muttered. "I doubt that those stronzi will be able to defeat him, but he might get hurt." A small nostalgic smile lifted the corners of her mouth and Ezio smirked at seeing it. "That idiota is always getting hurt trying to protect me. It's obvious that I can fight just as well as any man."
"Of that I have no doubt, ragazza," he said to placate her. That's when they arrived at the Assassin hideout. "This is it." He reached out and opened the door to reveal the steps that lead down to the ground floor. "Are you ready to join us?"
Ghita's lips pressed into a determined line. "Yes," she practically growled, striding past the door and descending down the steps. Although she was worried about Ugo, she also knew that after a day or two he was likely to come to the Assassins for help in finding her. Until then, she'd get acquainted with her new comrades.-
~o~
June 9, 1501
Ugo had a new respect for Ciro and his having been able to keep it together for a whole year without losing his mind while looking for Annetta. Here he was, almost two days without her and he was ready to head to the nearest Borgia tower and start killing people till he found someone that knew where Ghita was. The man hoped once more that Ciro had saved his daughter. The thought of anything else caused bile to rise to his throat.
Thus he found himself standing in front of the door that was rumored to led to the Assassin Brotherhood. It was true that he had taken over the reins in running the mercenaries in Firenze that had survived the siege on Monteriggioni, but he had ever really been an Assassin. Also, he had very little interaction with the Assassins before having relocated to Firenze, since Fedele was always the one that dealt with them while they'd been in Monteriggioni.
So, he was slightly apprehensive in coming to the Assassins' hideout so suddenly. Especially when he stopped to think that Ciro was considered a traitor to the Brotherhood, and Ugo and Ghita had helped him for months. Then they had sent an urgent missive asking for help, and Ugo was worried they would trace it back to them. If there was one thing Ezio Auditore hated more than anything, it was traitors.
Well, he had to find Ghita, and he'd do anything to find her. So, he steeled himself and knocked on the door. He heard a muffled shout from within that was suspiciously familiar. There was a crash of something breaking, a shouted 'oops', and it was followed by running footsteps.
By this point Ugo had covered his face with his hands with a groan of exasperation. When the door was opened by Ghita in a recluta uniform, Ugo wanted to bang his head against the door frame.
"Ugo! You finally made it!" cried Ghita Gargani happily; newest recruit of the Assassin Brotherhood.
That girl would be the death of him.
~o~
June 22, 1501
Surprisingly, it was Vittorio ==the perpetual anti-social recruit== that started it all; bringing all of them that much closer to being comrades and family. It was early morning, and for once, they were all ==except for poor Yeoman that was still bed-ridden== gathered at the breakfast table including the two new additions that were still wary around the others. Fabiola was eating with her impeccable manners and Augusto was obviously ravenous as be scarfed down his food. The duo had just returned from a mission that had them traveling to a farm on the outskirts of Roma.
Their kid was nowhere to be seen along with the child's nanny, so Vittorio concluded that they had just arrived that morning and hadn't yet been to see him. As he thought of him, it occurred to Vittorio that Giotto looked like neither Fabiola or Augusto. So, without thinking he opened his mouth.
"Why does your son not resemble either of you?" he asked, cutting across the conversation of the other occupants. It didn't stay quiet for long.
Augusto choked on the bite of food in his mouth and Fabiola made a sound of disgust as she glanced at him angrily.
"What?" he asked in bafflement. Vittorio didn't think it was an outrageous question, nor too personal for them to answer. It could be as simple as him resembling his grandfather or another member of the family, and frankly, it had been bugging the hell out of Vittorio. Of course, he'd never admit this out loud.
Fabiola pounded on Augusto's back as he coughed violently until he finally cleared his airway. "Giotto is not my son!" He wiped his mouth and tried to clean up the mess he'd made as he had been trying to dislodge his airway. "That's just disgusting," he snarled, while Vittorio just arched a brow at the statement.
"I thought you loved Fabiola and Giotto!" Bianca suddenly blurted at the other side of the table, sitting three seats away from being in front of the duo.
Augusto glanced at her sharply. "Of course I love them," he groused angrily. If he had been a dog, Vittorio was sure his hackles would be raised defensively. As it was, his shoulders were hunched and tense.
Bianca's lips twisted in an unnamed emotion at his words. "Then there's no reason to deny yourselves...s-sexual relations," the medic insisted with a blush. Vittorio glanced at the duo and noticed that Fabiola's face had flushed an interesting magenta, and now Augusto's face had twisted in disgust.
Ugo and Ghita glanced at one another and scooted a bit closer to the edge of the table. There were thinking that these people were crazy, and wondered at their decision of joining them. The other recruits were watching the exchange like a tennis match, turning from one to another to see their reactions and responses.
"Of course I can't have relations with Fabiola!" The man was shouting now. Vittorio saw that Desideria was shaking with lips pressed together, but couldn't distinguish the expression on her face. He thought that she might be in pain as she wrapped an arm around her middle. Meanwhile, Severino was watching the three recruits with mouth and eyes opened wide in shock.
Bianca seemed to be angry on Fabiola's account as she glared at a fuming Augusto as she stood. "Why the hell not?" she demanded furiously.
Augusto shot to his feet as well, matching Bianca glare for glare. "Because she's my sister, you crazy woman!"
Said crazy woman's eyes went comically wide. "She's your sister?" she asked in shock at the same time that Vittorio exclaimed, "What, you two are actually related?"
Finally, Desideria lost in and Vittorio realized she'd been trying not to laugh, and now she doubled over as peals of hysterical laughter wracked her body. Severino snorted before he started shaking in silent laughter as tears ran down his face before he abruptly turned away. Ugo and Ghita were watching them wide eyed and perfectly still, as if they were wild animals and one wrong move would draw their attention toward them.
An angry Augusto was looking at them with a bewildered look, and by then Fabiola looked like she may hurl but was valiantly trying to hold it together. It was several long minutes before Desideria finally started to calm down, and beside her Severino cleared his throat and wipe at his face as he straightened in his seat. Bianca had turned red in embarrassment, and Vittorio was glad for his mask that partially covered his humiliation.
As the whole lot of them had managed to get under control, Ezio walked into the room. He paused as he looked around as his eyebrows rose in surprise. Desi was wheezing slightly to catch her breath, Severino's eyes were darting from Ezio to Bianca to Augusto as they stared at one another uncertainly, Ugo and Ghita looking ready to bolt, and Vittorio was...blushing?
"Should I be worried?" he inquired to the room at large, and then noticed that Fabiola looked ready to hurl. "Fabiola, please don't throw up at the table."
The statement set them off once again as Desideria snorted this time as she burst into another round of laughter. It started Severino as well as the two of them clung to one another to keep from toppling over, but since they were both unsteady they ended up on the floor all the while laughing. Fabiola lunged to her feet before stumbling off as she heaved, Bianca let her head fall to the table with a groan as she covered her head with her arms, and Ugo and Ghita stood from the table with wild looks in their eyes. In an effort to ignore them all, Augusto took up his spoon and stubbornly finished his meal.
The master assassin glanced at Vittorio who was indeed blushing underneath his mask. Frankly, he found it strange that he was out here and not at Yeoman's bedside, but the girl must have kicked him out again. "Do I want to know?" he asked him. Vittorio furiously shook his head and Ezio rolled his eyes, but his face shifted into seriousness a moment later.
"Recluta!" he barked, and he was satisfied as all of them ==except Fabiola whom he could still hear hurling violently and Ezio tried to hide a wince== jumped up to attention. Ezio's lips twitched as they threatened to lift into a smile, and refrained from ruffling their hair. 'Such cute little bambinos,' he thought fondly. He was glad they were still able to laugh and behave like human beings and had been worried about Desideria and Vittorio, but knew that they were far from being children no matter how much he sometimes saw them that way. They had ceased being bambinos when they had joined the ranks of the Brotherhood.
"We have a mission to complete," he started to explain.
Afterwards, all of them seemed to be closer much to Vittorio's dismay whom more than ever couldn't get rid of Severino. When the older man wound up with a black eye as a result of his clinging, he had only grinned wider and declared that he had known Vittorio was his friend. After all, Desideria had also punched Severino in the face before she started being less stiff and scornful around him.
Ezio was content to watch over his cute recruits. They provided him with so much amusement.-
~o~