Brotherhood: The Recruits
Author: name-me-regret
AN: I have no idea how long it takes to get to some places while on horseback, so I just guestimated it, lol My muses are back! I think it might be cause I broke up with my significant other that wanted to kill them. Yeah, that's gotta be it. ¬_¬;
[Edited: July 29, 2017 - I realized that I put the wrong month on this chapter. I had put June, when it should have been July instead. It's been corrected now.]
Chapter Twenty-Six: Far From Home
July 15, 1501
It was not a secret among the recruits that Ezio and Claudia Auditore were not on speaking terms. The reason for this, however, was unclear, since it was one of those things you had to have witnessed to actually understand. Also, it was doubtful that Ezio would ever talk about it. And no one dared to ask, since the Maestro's mouth pressed into a bloodless line and the crow's feet at his eyes became more pronounced whenever Claudia was in the same room. Hell, even when she was mentioned.
When the recruits found out that the man's next mission to bring down the Borgia involved The Madame of the Rosa in Fiore, they prepared themselves for a week filled with a foul tempered Ezio. So, when the Maestro disappeared for two days they were baffled until a missive arrived via carrier pigeon with missions of them; all of them outside Roma.
It seemed that Ezio had decided to deal with the Borgia by himself, and made sure they were all kept busy so as not to interfere. Also, while they were in teams of two and relatively easy; Ezio had also decided to destroy any familiarity they had gained. Fabiola and Augusto were separated, and Ugo was incensed to discover that Ghita and he had been split apart. And not only that, but Ugo had been given a mission by himself.
So, while Ezio was in a bad mood, it seemed he tended to spread it around (although, they weren't sure it was intentional where the twins were concerned, since Ezio had been hinting to Fabiola and Augusto that he wanted them to learn to work separate from one another). Regardless, the Fornari twins were less than pleased at the assigned missions, and they weren't the only ones.
Augusto had been paired with Ghita, and the archer and double-wielder eyed each other up and tried to determine by pure sight how they'd be on a mission. Neither of them had ever worked, or trained together for that matter. Ghita's actually sneered a bit at not knowing how the giant recruit was like, and Augusto's right eyebrow ==the one bisected with a scar== lifted in bemusement.
Desi turned to face Vittorio, whom she would be paired with on the mission. The man's brow furrowed a bit but otherwise had no objections. At least he wasn't stuck with the insufferable Severino. Although the younger woman was his senior he had no problem with her, since he had spared with her once. She had wiped the floor with him, and he never intended to reveal that to anyone. Also, since Desideria wasn't one for small talk, he doubted that she would talk about it. Vittorio probably didn't even register in her mind as a threat after that, and Dio only knew what she thought of him.
His thought turned toward his self-appointed mission. Alejandro had been more than happy to help him despite being asked to help dig up a body in the middle of the night. The thief was just happy that his 'brother' was asking him for help, and had figured that it had something to do with The Brotherhood. They had laid Ciro Petaccia to rest besides a great sweeping tree next to the small cottage that he had bought in what seemed a lifetime ago. It was adorned with a simple yet tasteful cross, and when Annetta had recovered enough, he would take her there so she could say her goodbyes to her father-figure.
Vittorio glanced discreetly at the powerhouse that was Severino, and saw him giving Desideria a longing look but the young woman was obviously ignoring him. However, her eyes darted to him when his attention was caught by Fabiola, who was to be his partner in the mission.
The masked man smirked at the two of them. Severino was obviously in love with the sour-faced Desideria, since he never backed off even when he annoyed her to the point that she became violent with him, and she may or may not reciprocate those feelings. It would be interesting to see if anything developed between them as they spent more time together.
The embarrassing scene where it was revealed to some of them that Fabiola and Augusto were siblings had loosened them around one another. However, they were still not use to training together, or going on missions with anyone besides their respective partners.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons Ezio had paired them the way he had, and not because he was in a horrible mood and wanted his recruits to be as miserable as him. Probably.
Well, it'd be interesting to see how their missions would turn out.
Vittorio stood with a sigh and walked over toward Desi.
~o~
July 17, 1501
As the days passed, Annetta's health improved to the point that she was even allowed to briefly leave the bed on most days. Of course, that only consisted of walking down the hall and back into the room, and only once a day while under supervision. Niccolò Machiavelli still heavily protested of Ezio placing any trust on her because of her involvement with Ciro. As for Annetta, she thought that Machiavelli could go to hell.
She was counting down the days until she could walk out of there on her own two feet. When that time came, nothing short of death would stop her. Whether she'd leave or not was still undecided, since she had only ever known Roma.
At the moment, she was on one of her supervised walks as Bianca trailed behind her (as always), and she suddenly heard childish giggles coming from an open doorway just ahead. It was strange to see one of the doors open, since every time she had gone walking all of them had remained firmly shut. However, unbeknownst to her, all the recruits had left early yesterday morning on missions and it was Fabiola that always insisted that the door be closed.
Now, with everyone gone, Caterina had left the door open so the room wouldn't get too stuffy. Summer had come to Italia, and this year the heat was unbearable; especially around noon.
It had been Annetta's intention to pass by the room and ignore the laughter; however, the source darted out the door and collided with the unsteady woman. Annetta grunted as the small body slammed into her, and instinctively grabbed hold of the boy to keep him from taking a tumble. She used her recently freed hand to steady herself against the wall with a wince as a spasm of pain shot all along her wrist.
Bianca was at her side immediately and Annetta experienced a moment of annoyance, since she thought the dottore was being over exaggerated in her concern for her health. Then Bianca said very firmly, "Let him go," and gently extracted the young boy from her grip.
Annetta was momentarily stunned when she realized that Bianca saw her as a threat toward the child, and felt anger and revulsion coil in her gut. She was sickened that the woman thought she would willingly harm a child, and anger because despite her innate fear to trust, she had to some extent trusted Bianca.
Now, she realized the God-awful truth; Bianca saw her as an enemy. Perhaps, they all did, and they knew who she was because undoubtedly, Vittorio had told them. And Annetta wondered why they had bothered to save her in the first place. She had been so ready to die with Ciro, and they had taken that from her as well.
'Why didn't they just let me die?'
Annetta frowned and angrily yanked her arm away from where Bianca still held her. The boy gasped and Annetta glanced at him as he stared up at her with wide, caramel eyes. She grudgingly turned away as her heart ached at remembering another boy whose wide, innocent eyes she had watched dim until they were all but dead.
The broken woman shuddered as a sob tried to crawl up her throat, but choked it back and pretended to cough. She hadn't thought of Alessio in a long time, and once more shoved memories of that sweet boy so deep inside so as not to let them hurt her. Then she turned around and walked back to her room, since the short experience had exhausted her.
As she reached the door, she staggered in her fatigue, and Annetta immediately felt Bianca's presence at her side once more as she steadied her. Annetta hated her just a bit more at her pity.
She roughly shook her hand off with a growl. "I don't need your help," she snapped angrily. Annetta pushed the door open with enough force so it slammed into the bookcase and several books and one or two scrolls fell to the floor. However, Annetta paid them no mind as she slowly shuffled to the bed, desperate to get there before she collapsed, since that show of anger had taken a lot out of her.
When she finally made it, she crumpled onto the bed with a whimper. She was gasping harshly, and anyone might have confused the sounds for breathless sobs, but her eyes were completely dry.
Meanwhile, Bianca watched her with apprehension as she curled up while she made those sounds that tore at her heart. However, she didn't allow the neutral expression to waver, because she could tell that the other hated being pitied. So, Bianca tried to remain as unaffected as possible, but whenever she was alone she wept a little over the broken creature those monsters had reduced Yeoman to.
Despite Niccolò's distrust toward the young woman, Bianca couldn't help feeling protective, and wanted to defend her from the world at large. Hell, even when little Giotto had slammed into her, she had immediately sprung to her side. Bianca had noticed that Yeoman was violently fearful of physical contact, so Bianca had pried the boy from her hold before she could hurt him or herself trying to get away.
Although, she had been too late, and had seen several emotions she couldn't identify flash across her pale face. Yeoman had looked at the boy for a moment, and then her features had shifted into a blank expression before she turned and went back to her room.
Bianca wished that Yeoman would talk to her or at least get use to her presence, but nothing she did seemed to have a positive effect on her. She was growing desperate with every passing day, and Bianca might continue pushing her until Yeoman snapped at her. Bianca may just end up yelling at Yeoman.
Well, time would tell.
~o~
They were making good time as they rode toward Firenze, and would likely arrive in two days' time. It wasn't too much of a time sensitive mission so they had some leeway, but it wouldn't do to dawdle and prolong their journey. Also, Vittorio knew that Desideria would be angry if he slowed her down.
Desideria was the first recruit and thus the one with the most training, so she was the leader in any mission taken. Also, Vittorio had spared with her once, and she had wiped the floor with him. Luckily, no one had seen, and Desi tended to keep everything to herself. So, it was doubtful she'd say anything, and he was keeping his mouth shut on his humiliating loss.
Thus far he noticed that she hadn't said anything, and the few words she'd spoken had been mission related. This was fine by him, since he didn't have anything to say.
So, as they stopped to rest for the night, he was surprised as she finally spoke. "How is Yeoman doing?" she asked quietly. It had surprised him at first how much of a soft, soprano voice she had when she wasn't growling at Severino or snapping out a terse reply. Her mannerisms were rough, so one would assume that she had a voice to match.
Vittorio grunted in reply as he continued to set up camp and neither of them spoke until he'd gotten a fire started.
"His health is improving every day," he finally said.
Desi had thought he wasn't going to answer her, and when Vittorio finally spoke she could tell he wanted to say more. He was struggling with himself, since he had always distanced himself from them. Desideria could understand, since she had been the same way when Severino had first joined and encroached upon her training with the Maestro. She had just lost Alessio not even a month ago, and the Maestro had invited this weakling (in her opinion at the time, and at times still), this stranger to be in close proximity with her.
So, she had distanced herself, and when Severino had tried to get close she had lashed out at him. Eventually she'd gotten use to the big, annoying lump, and when Vittorio had joined them she had seen the same grief in him that had been inside of her at one point. He was on a path of self-destruction and wanted to keep them at arm's length, but once more Severino had imposed his unique personality upon the poor man.
The fact that he had answered her (and that she had even asked such a thing) indicated that Severino was good at dragging them =fighting him every step of the way= out of their depressive shells.
Desideria nodded with a hum but said nothing further, since she knew that if he wanted to say what was on his mind then he would. She would listen if he did, and accept it if he didn't say anything else. After all, Desideria was not Severino.
Finally, after they had prepared a quick meal and they had eaten and Desi had almost forgotten, Vittorio spoke.
"He doesn't trust anyone," he muttered. The 'even me' went unsaid, but it hung in the air between them; heavy and tense.
Desi's sardonic snort shattered the oppressive silence, and she chose to ignore his slight flinch. "Of course he doesn't. I wouldn't trust anyone either." She shrugged and tossed a large piece of firewood, and several embers sprung up and floated in the air before a light breeze carried them off.
"He'll eventually grow to trust us, or he'll run away at the first chance he gets." Vittorio looked at her with slightly wide eyes, and she briefly wondered what kind of expression he was making under his mask. She grinned at him. "It's a very likely possibility," she affirmed with another careless shrug, turning her attention to stoking the fire. "Whether Niccolò lets him leave is another matter."
The man frowned. "What about Ezio?" he inquired. Desideria had never heard Vittorio refer to the Master Assassin as Maestro before. Well, since the Maestro hadn't corrected him, then she wouldn't either.
Desideria shook her head. "The Maestro wouldn't keep him with us against his will. I doubt he sees Yeoman as a threat." The young woman paused as she frowned in thought. "Although, there is something that troubles him about Yeoman."
Afterwards, neither of them spoke for the rest of the night, but Vittorio couldn't help but think that Desi was pretty observant of those around her. And he'd been thinking that she didn't care about any of them; Ezio included.
Well, it seemed that he'd been wrong.
Vittorio would have to be careful not to slip up and accidentally reveal Annetta's true gender. He didn't understand her need to hide both her gender and name, but would keep her secrets. Vittorio would try his hardest not to disappoint her again.
~o~
Severino was in a bad mood.
This was actually a rare occasion these days, and since joining the Brotherhood he had always tried to find a positive spin in any situation. It didn't always work but Severino never let it get him down, and this is a man that had been happy when he'd been punched twice by two of his fellow recruits.
Sure he could see the silver lining in every rain cloud, but at the moment Severino was just miserable.
He was on a boat, and every time there was a strong wave, he felt a strong wave of nausea twist his insides. So, he not only had an empty stomach, but the dry heaves still wouldn't stop and his throat hurt from the stomach bile he'd puked up.
Also, Fabiola and Severino were supposed to pretend they were newlyweds, and act the part. Severino really couldn't bring himself to do it, and the one kiss they'd been forced to fake had filled him with so much guilt. It wasn't even that Fabiola had given him a look like he was something disgusting she had accidentally stepped on (thankfully, no one but Severino had seen the look), but the image of Desideria's face that had invaded his mind when they'd kissed.
Severino had been sent reeling with the revelation that he had wanted to kiss Desi instead of Fabiola.
Although, he'd be shocked if he would have felt the desire to kiss either one of them, since in the time that Fabiola had joined the Brotherhood his life had been a bit hellish. The two women had made his life impossible, so it was no wonder that he was shocked that he wanted to kiss Desi, one of his tormentors! And the feeling had come out of nowhere!
However, if Severino was honest with himself, he may have thought about it a few times. In passing, and very briefly!
Now that he'd admitted it, he didn't know what he was going to do. He couldn't do anything at the moment while stuck in the middle of the ocean, and he was far too sick to think clearly at the moment anyways. Also, Fabiola kept shooting him death glares every so often as she wiped her mouth for the twentieth time.
It was not a good day for Severino Sabelli.
~o~
July 21, 1501
The first thing Augusto noticed about Ghita was that she liked to talk. It wasn't that she was a motor-mouth or anything, but when she did speak she expected people to listen. As for Augusto, he hadn't realized how use to Fabiola's silence he had gotten. Even before her traumatizing experiences, she had barely spoken due to her shyness. While his sister was no longer that timid girl that had endured years of abuse, she had all but become a mute.
Augusto had never asked whether she had taken a vow of silence or if it were something altogether different. Now he had grown to just accept that he would never hear her sweet voice again. He doubted he'd recognize it after all this time if he heard it now.
As he thought of this, Matteo came unbidden to his thoughts, and everything his sister had lost. Of course, Augusto had also lost a friend as well and felt regret that he had been so hostile toward the man from the beginning. For a while after his death Augusto had wondered if Matteo had thought him a nuisance, or an obstacle between Fabiola and him. Then Giovanni had laid his worries to rest.
'Matteo, hate you?' The archer laughed as the others joined in, and Augusto was annoyed because it felt like they were laughing at him!
Augusto grunted as Domenico's large hand slapped him on the back. 'You don't hate your kid brothers, you just beat on them a little, and love them and their annoying ways!'
The young man had coughed at the 'kid brother' part, but thought that perhaps they could have been as tight as brothers if that bastard Ottavio hadn't intruded on their happiness. His brother...
Augusto cleared his mind of the past, and things that couldn't be undone. Matteo and Ottavio both were gone, and they had to move forward; he had to move forward.
As the sun set in the west, he closed his eyes and settled back in a more comfortable position. The caravan would arrive at their destination in two more days and he wanted to get some rest. Thus, he allowed the swaying of the carriage to lull him to sleep.
~o~
11:36pm
Augusto was startled out of his slumber as the carriage violently lurched to a stop, and it was followed by a pained grunt before something heavy hit the ground. His gaze snapped to Ghita and saw that she was awake, her dark eyes gleaming in the dark as she gave him the briefest of nods. The man saw the momentary flash of metal as she silently drew her sword, since he knew that like Augusto, she slept with her dagger unsheathed at all times.
He wished he had his crossbow with him, but they had to leave it behind so as to be discreet. While swords even in the hands of a woman wouldn't have caused too much a ruckus in these dangerous times, but the heavy crossbow would have garnered more suspicion. Although, if it came down to it then he'd steal one of the caravan drivers, since from the sounds of things, their driver was already dead.
The crunch of footsteps was heard and Augusto tensed in anticipation, since he was the one closest to the slightly open flap. So, as the bandit stuck his head inside, the recruit slid the blade of his dagger along his throat as he stiffened and stopped moving.
"How many are in your group?" he hissed quietly, letting the weapon's sharp edge slightly nick the vulnerable flesh in warning.
"The're eight includin' meself," he quickly told him. Augusto couldn't identify his accent, but it wouldn't matter in the long run.
They heard the cries from the family of six in the first caravan, and Augusto growled angrily when he remembered that there were three young girls within the family. His gaze flicked to the double-wielder and she bared her teeth in an angry sneer. The skeleton of the caravan was made of wood, but over it was draped a strong, coarse canvas. So, it was easy for Ghita to use her dagger to cut a hole in the side of the cloth, and moments later she disappeared from view.
Meanwhile, Augusto had dragged the man inside, knocking him out in the same motion, and then tied and gagged him in case he woke up. These were more than likely the bandits they had been sent to eliminate, so they'd need one of them alive to interrogate. He left through the same hole Ghita had made to find her waiting for him. She had cut away the long skirt she had been wearing to reveal the trousers she had underneath. "We spread out and take them out one by one," he whispered. The bandits had torches, but the shadows made by the caravan hid them from view as they crouched beneath it. Augusto flinched as he heard a wail. "Hurry."
They darted into the darkness in opposite directions, and the sun had sucked any dampness from the ground that had become wet from an early morning rain. So, he wasn't given away by the squelch of mud, and made sure he didn't accidentally kick any stray rocks to give away his position. Although, Augusto doubted he'd be heard over the screams.
He came upon a bandit that was trying to forcefully remove the clothes from one of the young girls. She was yelling for help as she fought him desperately. Augusto wondered if his own sister had cried for him, and his lips pulled back into a snarl. He hated rapists.
"Nobadis goh saiv yo'!" he cackled gleefully. Her dress tore and she screamed.
Augusto lunged forward, plunging his sword through his back until it came out of his chest in a spray of blood that unfortunately splattered all over the girl. He didn't brother saying anything to the dead man as he yanked the blade out and the corpse crumpled to the ground. "Quickly, hide behind the boulders," he instructed. The gargantuan rocks were scattered along the side of the incline that swooped down twenty feet to the river.
The girl recognized him from the 'couple' of the second caravan, so obeyed as she hurried away and hid. Augusto kicked the body so it started to roll down the incline until it came to a stop inches from falling into the river. He moved on, killing a thief looting the caravan, and he noticed that the screams had started to gradually fade away. He hoped it was because Ghita had started to kill the bandits, and not that the bastards had started to kill the family.
As he dispatched a third one in the process of committing rape he heard the hoot of an owl, and moments later Ghita melted from the shadows and was at his side. "Three," he stated.
"Four," she confirmed, since with the captive bandit made eight. "Any stranglers?" She shook her head and he nodded. "Bene," he murmured and then hesitated. "...casualties?"
Ghita's lips twisted as she dropped her gaze. "Both the drivers are dead...and the youngest daughter." Her hands clenched around the hilts of her weapons. "I couldn't get to her. She looks like she was barely eleven summers."
Augusto's eyes fluttered shut in a moment of grief before they snapped open as he straightened. "We'll have to bury them nearby, and then get the caravan moving again. Then it'll be time to have a more thorough chat with our friend." He sheathed his sword at his side. "After we find their hideout we eliminate them one by one."
She gave a sharp nod, not trusting her voice at the moment. Ghita felt like such a failure at not being able to reach that child in time to save her. They would make them pay for all the people they had harmed.
~o~
July 22, 1501
The hideout was little more than tents clustered around a few fires, but there were more solid builds surrounding them. From what they had learned from the bandit, they were just starting to build more permanent dwellings. It was a valley surrounded on all sides by the mountains, and only one way in and out. That was guarded by two guards hidden from sight behind several boulders placed strategically on the sides of the single road. Also, there was a ledge against the cliff face on the right side that had an archer keeping watch.
From where they had hidden themselves they could see the archer keeping watch, and the rope from which the man could climb down or up. They had driven the horses hard to get there before dawn, but there had been no other place close enough besides the boulders that were lined along the road and shielded that the bandits' hideout from being seen.
"It would be better if we were to approach at night, kill the archer and the guards, so they won't sound the alarm. Then we go tent to tent and kill them while they sleep." Ghita frowned at the last part, since she didn't like the idea of killing these men while they were warm in their beds. "They don't deserve mercy," he snapped, that dead girl's eyes at the forefront of his mind; his sister's tortured gaze. "They didn't show that child mercy, so why should they get it?"
Ghita flinched and her lips twisted in distress. "I know that, but I'd prefer a fair fight. This method has no honor." She liked to be able to face her opponent in battle before killing them. It was the only thing that made sense to her instead of just senseless killing.
Augusto had no time for talk of honor, or any kind of moral code. "You're an Assassino!" he hissed fiercely. "A blade in the crowd that no one ever sees coming. This is who we are, and what you decided to be when you joined."
He started to check over the crossbow he'd stolen from one of the dead bandits, since he didn't want it to malfunction at the wrong possible moment. "If you cannot do it, then I shall go alone," he stated calmly. He would certainly not force her into anything.
Ghita sighed and shook her head, pulling out her two swords as she tested the balance of the stolen one. She couldn't risk bringing two, since wearing one was pushing it but had stolen the second from one of the deceased. The balance wasn't perfect, but she wouldn't have to adjust her grip too much. They hadn't wanted to look suspicious by carrying more weapons than necessary, since the drivers of the caravan may not let them come along. While they hadn't expected to be attacked, it had been a strong possibility, and if they hadn't they may not have found this place.
Augusto watched her for a few moments before nodding slowly, and started to check his supplies. "Make sure to check your medical supplies." He did as well and both perusals determined that they had enough to attend any minor injuries for them both, and combined it'd be enough for one major injury.
Also, all of the recruits had been shown by Bianca how to properly clean and dress a wound, and check the wound for any foreign objects before cauterizing. While she had also shown them how to stitch a wound closed, it was likely that in an emergency it'd be easier and quicker to cauterize. While they wouldn't ever be able to say they could replace Bianca since her knowledge of medicines and poisons was unrivaled, but it was reassuring for them to know little bit. After all, Bianca wouldn't always be around or any dottore for that matter.
They moved in at sundown, and it was slow as they tried to prevent the man on the ledge from seeing them. Finally, they took out the two guards on the ground, and Augusto took aim and took out the archer as his body fell from above. Ghita climbed the rope leading up as Augusto looted and hid the bodies in case anyone came upon them.
When Ghita was at ground level once more, she handed Augusto extra bolts for his crossbow, and showed him the bell they most likely used those in the hideout of intruders. It would be risky to leave it, and destroying it may cause too much noise. In the end, Ghita dug a hole and dropped it in before covering it back up, and dragged a large rock over it as an extra precaution.
They snuck into the hideout and the layout they had persuaded out of their prisoner had mostly been right. They saw that they were indeed starting to build more permanent structures, and from him they had also gotten a more or less count on their numbers; at least forty, possibly more. This was bigger than their original Intel had led them to believe, and the best thing to do would be to call reinforcements. It was dangerous for the two of them to attempt this mission alone, and may not succeed before they had to flee, if they could survive long enough to flee.
It was also highly likely that if left unchecked, the bandits would build an impenetrable fortress nestled in the valley, and protected by the mountain terrain surrounding it. If left alone any longer, in a weeks' time they would have tighten security, and in a months' time they would be unstoppable.
So, Augusto and Ghita couldn't leave. It was too late to call for reinforcements, and they couldn't wait. It had to be tonight. The recruits had the element of surprise on their side. They may not get another chance.
First, they meticulously took out the four archers that were situated along the cliff face of the mountain. The two of them split up and moved along the shadows cast by the mountain, extinguishing any torches in their way.
Ghita came to her first target and was relieved at seeing the latter that led up to the ledge. That meant the others would also have an easy way to reach the ledges. So, she quickly climbed and heard the archer pause in his movements.
"Is't time teh chang' shiv 'ready?" he asked in surprise. As she neared to top, she stopped before he would see her, and as he peered over the edge, she struck like cobra with her hidden blade. As the man's wide eyes met hers, she yanked the blade out and shoved him with the same hand so he toppled to the side instead of forward and over the edge. She didn't need him falling where someone could see his body, and after breaking the latter with a swift kick, she moved onto her second target.
Ghita caught sight of the signal across the valley, a flicker of light followed several others in a distinct rhythm. That meant that Augusto had already taken out his two archers as well, and hurried onto her last archer as she eliminated him in the same way as the first. Of course, it would be easier for him since he had his crossbow to facilitate the job.
Augusto moved systematically from tent to tent to check for any sleeping bandits, and ruthlessly slit their throats before moving on. While he did that, Ghita laid a trail of gunpowder to a larger bag of gunpowder and shrapnel. They would just have to lure the patrols to that one spot without giving away their positions. It was a possibility that they'd end up fighting, but wanted to make sure to bring down their numbers first.
Then the worst happened; Augusto was spotted as he was leaving the tent and a shout of warning was given followed shortly after by the clash of metal against metal. Ghita cursed where she was still setting up the trap, and knew she'd have to detonate it now. The scuffle would bring more attention from anyone still asleep, and soon her fellow recounts would be overwhelmed. It was all quickly spiraling out of control.
Ghita hid behind one of the half-finished buildings as the sound of a single pair of running feet was heard. There were several close by, but this one was her bait. She twisted low, pivoting on the balls of her feet and slashed across his knees. He screamed as he fell, and she wasted no time in sheathing her sword and grabbing him by the back of his shirt as she dragged him into position. She tied the bag of gun powder and shrapnel at his back while he was too dazed to notice, and leaned him sideways against a wall where the trail of gunpowder started.
She quickly and mercilessly brought her booted foot down on his knee, and there was a pop as it was dislocated as the man howled in pain. Ghita quickly darted away as she heard more bandits approach, attracted by their comrade's screams. There was a narrow alleyway that someone with broad shoulders wouldn't be able to pass through, but it was wide enough for her is she stood at an angle. She had dragged a few crates to block it from view, and that's where she ducked behind as she watched the bandits start to surround the injured man. When there was at least a dozen, she struck the flint toward the gunpowder.
The sparks ignited it frighteningly quick and it ate away the flammable gunpowder. Ghita ducked behind the crates as a warning shout came too late, and the bag of gunpowder and shrapnel exploded as the men were thrown back. She wasn't left unscathed as she was flung onto her back from the force of the explosion.
She bit back a cry as she sat up, and realized that some of the shrapnel had gone through the wooden crates and had embedded into her shoulder where it met her arm. There was a ringing in her ears as she staggered to her feet, and although she wanted to lie down for a while, it wasn't meant to be. She bit back the bile that crawled up her throat, swallowing reflectively.
Ghita forced herself to move, since she didn't know where Augusto was or if he had been within the range of the explosion. She leaned against the wall of another incomplete building, and waited a moment or two for the ringing to stop. When it had faded somewhat, she moved from building to incomplete building as she set them on fire while keeping an eye out for Augusto.
She was quickly spotted and had to engage in battle, but had known it was inevitable. The fires would eliminate any shadows she could have potentially hid in, and Ghita suddenly found herself surrounded by at least a dozen bandits. Also, the piece of shrapnel moved and caused her further pain and injury, so she had limited range of motion in her left arm. While she could move the arm, it was painful to hold the heavier sword or moved it forward or outward too much. Thus she was using a dagger gripped in that hand, but had to be really close to use it. Soon she was overwhelmed.
Ghita gasped as enemy that was giving her trouble was downed by a crossbow bolt, and a second one was hit before the bandits realized what was happening. Ghita darted close to an opponent that was looking around for the archer, and drove the dagger into his chest to the hilt. She swung her sword in a wide arch to cut across the throat of a bandit that was within arms' reach, and both men fell as she moved to the next enemy.
As the last bandit fell Ghita was left panting in exhaustion surrounded by corpses, and lifted her uninjured arm to wave so Augusto could see her. He was on the ledge far to the left, and if he hadn't already gotten down then he would see her signal. It was becoming hard to breathe since she was among the burning buildings, so she quickly left the area.
A coughing spasm racked her body when she left the smoke filled area; her lungs try to expel the smoke she had inhaled. She took several moments to regain her breath before she continued toward the entrance of the hideout. Ghita stopped when she arrived and looked around, and was relieved when Augusto appeared, limping but alive. When he faltered, she hurried to support him and sighed as he took the weight off his injured right leg. There were bandages hastily wrapped around his leg that hid a five inch long gash, and the blood on the bandages suggested that it was still bleeding. It would most likely have to be cauterized or stitched up.
Augusto had to be attended to first since he was losing blood, and Ghita figured that her own injury could wait. However, first they would have to get away from there in case the smoke alerted any allies nearby, or some bandits had escaped the massacre. They hurried as much as possible back to the caravan, but it was slower due to Augusto's injured leg.
As Augusto struggled into the back, Ghita hurried toward the road a few feet away, since they had parked the caravan in a niche that would hide it from the hideout and the road as well.
"Cazzo!" She could see approaching torch light further down the road, as well as the sound of pounding hooves of several horses. "Augusto, we have to go, now!" She ran back and gave him a swift shove in the ass that sent him tumbling inside with a pained cry. "Sorry!"
Ghita sprinted for the drivers' side, climbing in as she ignored her injury, and took the reins and snapped them. The horses whinnied in pain and launched into a gallop. They hit the road with a sharp lurch and Ghita turned southward. The moon gave her enough light to keep from going into the river, but not enough to successfully avoid any holes in the road. Ghita grit her teeth as she hit the third hole, and knew that too many of that would result in a damaged axle.
Meanwhile, the men on horseback had caught up to them, a good twenty men, but she knew in their current condition they wouldn't even be able to handle five. So, they had to outrun them or get close to the next city that they gave up the chase as too risky.
Ghita hissed as a flaming arrow whizzed over her head, and another passed so close that she felt the heat on her face. She swerved the caravan to slam into a rider that had come on the side and tried to climb into the drivers' seat. The man as well as another that had followed fell into the raging river below, but soon they left it behind and only a steep drop into darkness was seen.
As Ghita drove the carriage, Augusto had been kept busy trying to shoot the moving targets with his crossbow. However, he only had ten bolts left, and the caravan was moving too much for him to get a good shot and only managed to take out four targets. As the enemy started shooting arrows with the tips on fire, Augusto had been doing his best to knock the projectiles out of the air with his sword, or put out the fire if one of the arrows managed to hit.
Then the caravan abruptly lurched to the side ==most likely to dislodge an enemy rider trying to climb onto the caravan== and Augusto was sent rolling with a yell. He hissed as the gash tore open a bit more, and a fresh rush of blood stained the bandages further red. As he managed to sit up, a bandit jumped from the saddle and grabbed hold of the side of the caravan. Augusto surged forward to drive his sword into his stomach, twisting the hilt and when he fell away he yanked his weapon back. While he'd been dealing with that enemy, another had jumped onto the other side and managed to climb in and threw himself at Augusto.
The recruit grunted as the man landed at him, catching hold of his wrist to keep him from stabbing him with his dagger. The other forced the knife down, and Augusto stained to keep it away from his chest. It seemed the other would succeed, but the caravan jerked to the side once more, and the bandit was dislodged and went tumbling across the floor of the caravan. Augusto let the momentum take him, managing to release his own dagger, and when they slammed together against the side Augusto stabbed him one, two, three times in quick succession before he could recover. The man shuddered and was still, or at least, as still as a corpse could be in the back of a careening caravan. Augusto managed to crawl away and toward the front of the caravan, since it was moving too much to try standing.
As he reached his destination, he climbed the tied down barrels of gunpowder and standing on them, he cut a hole at the top. He made it wide enough for his shoulders to get through, and before pushing through he saw more bandits jump into the back. Ghita grabbed him as he clamored down beside her and was nearly sent flying as they hit another hole in the road.
"Get on the horses!" he shouted desperately. She nodded, tying off the reins and starting to climb over toward the horses. Augusto glanced back as he did as well, and a sickening feeling of terror washed over him as an arrow hit and the caravan ignited quickly. "Go! Go!" The man scrambled the last few inches onto the horse, a white stallion, and Ghita finally made it onto the dark brown one. Then they both frantically cut the harness and the straps, both forgetting their injuries in the rush of fear and adrenaline.
Finally, it was free and they turned around, leaning as far forward as possible, and urging the animals to go faster. Meanwhile, the whole caravan was on fire by that point, and suddenly...
BOOM!
The force of the explosion knocked the stallions forward as both recruits went careening through the air. They roughly landed on opposite sides of the road as what remained of the caravan rushed past in a flash of light and heat, and Augusto scrambled for purchase of something as he tumbled over the side. He grunted as he slammed into a rock, but held on for dear life, the pitch black abyss yawning beneath him.
The burning caravan crashed into the side of the mountain and suddenly everything was still, and only the sound of the crackling fire was heard for a few moments. Then the screams of dying men were heard, and Augusto's heart was beating frantically in his chest as he slowly climbed back onto the road. He rolled the last few feet, gasping as he lay on his back for a moment before forcing himself to stand, and winced as his bruised ribs protested the movement.
"GHITA!" He paused a moment to cough violently and moaned as his sensitive ribs were jarred once more. "GH-ack!" He was tackled from the side, and the air was knocked out of him as his attacker climbed off him. It was a lone bandit, one half of his face badly burned, and blood blossoming on his shirt over his stomach showed he was gravely injured.
"Assassino scum!" he snarled, raising his sword to deliver a killing blow. Augusto fumbled for his sword, but it was gone.
The man grunted an instant later, the weapon dropping from his hand as his hands went to his chest. First it was the blood, followed by the tip of a sword that was pushed out in a spray of more blood.
"Actually, we're just novices at the moment," Ghita said calmly as her face appeared over his shoulder. "But an easy mistake to make." She ripped out the sword, and the bandit crumbled to the side. He lay at her feet as he wheezed for breath for a few seconds, and then he was dead.
"How badly are you hurt?" She had come to crouch at Augusto's side. Ghita wanted to leave, but she was in a lot of pain and her left arm was a bit numb by that point. Also, she knew that Augusto's wound was probably still bleeding, and he may be even more injured now.
Augusto sat up with a hiss. "The gash in my left leg tore further, and my ribs hurt a lot." Although he hated to admit to any weakness, Ezio had strictly forbidden them from hiding injuries from their teammates. An untreated wound could jeopardize a mission and the lives of your fellow recruits.
Ghita reached forward and started to gently peel away the bloody bandages. She used some water from the canteen she had managed to conserve in the fall to wash away the excess blood. "Damn it, that needs stitches," she sighed, glancing behind her as the screams of the injured bandits had started to die away. She didn't feel secure doing it in the middle of the road, but they had no choice. Also, the fire would give her enough light, since dawn was too far away for them to wait until then.
It was a painful process for Augusto, especially since she had to remove several pebbles that had managed to get inside the loose bandages. Bianca had been adamant of leaving no foreign objects in the wound before stitching it up, since it would cause a strong infection that many doctors weren't equipped to deal with. It could also be caused by dirty hands apparently.
They had no soap, but a quick search of the bandit's corpses had turned up some strong liquid. Augusto took a quick swig before Ghita used it on the gash and then her hands. The stitching took almost ten minutes as Augusto had grit his teeth. Finally, she leaned back on her haunches as she wiped the sweat from her face with the sleeve of her shirt. Now, it was her turn.
Ghita had to open her shirt, and Augusto had tried not to look at anything, or Ugo would likely gouge his eyes out. Then he had to dig out the piece of metal lodged in her shoulder as she moaned softly in pain. He got it at last, and she sighed in relief. As they gathered what they could from the wreckage and the corpses, she started to get feeling back in her hand little by little. Ghita wasn't to know that the metal had been pressing dangerously against a nerve, and left alone any longer would have caused irreparable damage.
When they had salvaged what they could, both recruits went in search of the horses but only found the dark brown stallion. Augusto told her that the poor beast had probably gone over the edge, since Augusto had almost suffered the same fate.
Between the two of them they had enough fiorini for a dottore to check their wounds, and perhaps a few supplies at the next town. They wouldn't linger in case those bandits had allies there, and they changed out of their uniforms just in case. Also, both would make sure to keep their arm bracers hidden. Augusto and Ghita were too injured at the moment to engage in another fight.
They could only hope that the rest of their trip back to Roma was uneventful.-
~o~